Moon of Destiny
by Lord-Mandrake
Summary: Post Galaxia, The Senshi learn the history of the universe before the Moon Kingdom. Powerful enemies and Allies awaken, and destinies are fulfilled
1. The Awakening

The characters herein all belong to their respective creating authors, save for those original characters introduced by me. The situations and and story however are of my own design and are as such intellectual property of myself.  
  
It wasn't possible, she kept telling herself that, but it didn't make the feeling go away. Not only was she one hundred percent sure that no one living really knew where she was, she was also quite certain that even should someone have learned where the Time Gates actually were, that their location would be unreachable without her knowing about it well in advance. Setsuna still felt like she was being watched, and she didn't like it one bit, no sir not at all.  
  
"All right, I'm becoming paranoid" the teal haired woman spoke to herself. She had long ago given up feeling strange about her one sided conversations. After the first few centuries of guarding these accursed gates anyone would lose their mind without some sound, even that of their own voice.  
  
"Let's assume for the moment that I'm not paranoid, though that little Galaxia incident last month was enough to make anyone a little nervous." Setsuna, arguably one of the most powerful individuals in the universe, paced back and forth in front of her lifelong charge in consternation. Determinedly Setsuna tapped her Garnet Rod against the Time Gates and commanded them to show her any disturbances in the time stream. What happened was not on her list of expected possibilities.  
  
To understand what happened one must be familiar with the normal function of the Gates. The gates should have magnified the temporal energies contained within the Garnet Rod sending infinitesimal vibrations through space-time seeking any flaws in its structure. These flaws would then be displayed in a near holographic image within the gates. The Gates were not a television, their principals of operation were both magical and scientific, and nothing other than immense paradox could occlude the image in the gates. So it was a hysterical Setsuna that fled from the gates to report an imminent threat to the future of herself and her friends. Setsuna's flight left the Gates once again unattended, but that was the least of her fears as she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt she had already lost control of them. The mists surrounding the Gates glowed in their solitude the soft middle "C" and Chromatic test pattern displayed in the Gates a lending them their soft light.  
  
Despite years of effort on the part of her friends, Usagi still had problems staying awake in class, and Ikeada-sensei's history class was the worst of all. "Who cares?" she mumbled to herself as she valiantly fought the fast becoming need to shut her eyes. From a few seats back a small well used eraser glanced off her head. Sleepily she turned to see Makoto glaring daggers at her. Makoto's expression told her firmly that if she had to stay awake in class, something that sitting next to the class hentai Hiroshi-kun made an absolute necessity, then she would make certain she didn't suffer alone. The Sensei's nasally monotone droning had once again begun to recede into the distance when the school intercom interrupted her.  
  
"Ikeada-sensei, please send Tsukino-san and Kino-san to the office immediately" the voice carried a hint of irritation.  
  
"Kino, Tsukino go" was all the Sensei said by way of granting them leave to see what the office wanted.  
  
"Great, what did we do this time," Usagi wondered aloud as she and Makoto left the room.  
  
"No Idea Usagi, but it sounded important" Makoto added.  
  
"Nahh," Usagi commented as she unconsciously sped up, "Kobyashi-san was just mad about interrupting the class."  
  
A few short minutes later the two girls arrived at the oft imposing door to the school office. Gathering their courage they opened it stepped in and assumed a waiting stance for the secretary, Kobyashi-san, to notice them, it wasn't long before she glanced up. Kobyashi-san's expression was harassed; a first that the girls could remember, and briefly a worried look crossed her face as she addressed them.  
  
"Girls, Mieou-san has requested a conference with you" she said quickly as she directed them to the guidance office. Usagi and Makoto looked at each other anxiously as they made their way to Setsuna's office.  
  
"Mako-chan," Usagi whispered quickly.  
  
"I know Usagi, she never calls us out of class without a really big reason. I hope it's not a new enemy."  
  
Before anything else could be said the girls were in the room. Usagi glanced around quickly noting that all the Senshi that attended Juuban Public High School were present. Obviously this meeting was not a social call. Michiru and Haruka were sharing a chair near that large window overlooking the four story drop to the athletics field. Minako sat in another alternating between looking worried and checking out the guys below in their P.E. uniforms. Ami seemed absorbed in a text book, to a class Usagi was sure the school system didn't offer until college, and finally little Hotaru, a new freshman and certainly the youngest member of the Senshi, stood silently against the wall. Most obviously missing were Rei and Setsuna herself. While it was understandable that Rei wouldn't be there as she attended a different, private, school, Setsuna's absence was curious. Setsuna had called them all here, so where was she? As if to answer the unspoken question Setsuna appeared in a flash of light accompanied by Rei. The simple fact that Setsuna had somehow gathered Rei for the meeting in the middle of school cast a dread pall of seriousness over the gathering.  
  
Usagi was the first to speak up with "What's wrong Setsuna?"  
  
"Were doomed," replied the Senshi of Time. Naturally the reaction to this simple two word declaration coming from normally unflappable Sailor Pluto was exciting to say the least.  
  
"What?!" Minako, Rei and Usagi, nearly screamed in chorus.  
  
At the same time Michiru and Haruka fell out of their chair in shock. Ami quietly began to scan Setsuna for anything wrong with her, say like a possession or this being an impostor, the Sailor Pluto she knew did not drop cute little verbal bombshells like that. Makoto in the intervening time had pulled her henshin stick from subspace and looked to be on the verge of transforming then and there, surprisingly only Hotaru seemed unfrightened by the eldest Senshi's announcement.  
  
"What has happened," Hotaru asked quietly in a near monotone.  
  
This served to further alarm the other Senshi, the last time Hotaru had reverted to that coldly formal method of speech she had been quite prepared to end the world to halt a threat to all humanity. Setsuna gave Hotaru a half hearted reassuring look as she composed herself to answer the rapidly approaching storm of questions.  
  
"First," Setsuna said as her voice cut through the verbal din of the others overlapping questions, "I must warn you I do not have anywhere near as much information as I'd like to about what's going on."  
  
"Okay," came the group consensus as Setsuna paused to gauge their readiness.  
  
"Approximately twenty four hours ago I began to sense a presence, much like the feeling of being watched. I dismissed it initially as nerves from our most recent troubles." At that she gave everyone a wistful smile. "The feeling didn't recede however, and I began to worry. The Time Gates do not exist in this dimension really. They exist outside time in a pocket dimension really quite similar to the subspace pockets that we all keep our henshin wands in. There is no access to the pocket dimension without my staff or one of the keys." Again she paused to make sure she had everyone's undivided attention. She was quite relieved to note that this was the case. Haruka had settled into a serious expression that promised a swift death to any threats to her princess, Michiru much like Ami, seemed in deep concentration. Rei, Usagi, and Makoto watched her with equal expressions of dread. Minako simply studied her intently waiting for her to finish with her tactical analysis, it was times like these that brought out the true strength of the leader of the inner Senshi. Hotaru on the other hand simply waited, for what even Setsuna had no idea.  
  
"It was clear to me that there was no one physically present at the Gates other than myself, it was equally obvious that something was terribly wrong. The Gates had not been opened or accessed as far as I had known, so I scanned time-space for any anomalies." Setsuna's voice took on an almost sick tone of fear at this point in her monologue drawing the other Senshi further into her story. "The Gates responded as always rapidly bypassing all the previously catalogued irregularities, just as I had almost given up and decided that I had simply been nervous, the Gates showed me a test pattern." The way Setsuna said it, it sounded like a bad thing, but for the life of them the other Senshi couldn't contemplate what about a test pattern could be that bad.  
  
"So," began Usagi, "the Gates are broken then?" She finished in innocence.  
  
"No Hime-chan, you do not understand. The gates are not a television, they do not get a signal and can not go 'off the air' something is blocking the Gates, and it has a sick enough sense of humour to use a 1960's American television practice to block them."  
  
"Let me get this right," Haruka interrupted, "you're nervous because someone has blocked the Gates, right?"  
  
"Yes, but I am more worried about their choice of blockage" she finished.  
  
"Why?" Minako asked.  
  
"Because it looks like our enemy is not taking me seriously, which would mean they are either insane, or very very confident. Given that they have the power to block the Gates. I will bet on confidence."  
  
"What else do you know about our enemy," the cold nearly emotionless voice of Hotaru probed.  
  
"Nothing," Setsuna replied.  
  
"Nothing?," Usagi asked shocked, while the other Senshi looked to be swallowing their tongues.  
  
"Nothing, so be on your guard at all times," with that Setsuna disappeared, leaving the rest of the Senshi to dwell on the repercussions of her briefing.  
  
Hotaru was the first to comment after the departure of the Time Senshi. "Well, this could be problematic."  
  
"Problematic?" Haruka added nastily. "Michiru I think Hotaru-chan has been spending too much time with Setsuna, she's starting to share her gift for understatement."  
  
"Be nice Ruka-chan." Michiru chided sweetly.  
  
The banter between the lovers broke the tension in the room allowing the rest of the girls to snap out of the shock that Setsuna's words had left them in. The looks passed between the Senshi easily communicated both their fear of this new threat and their mutual reassurance that they could together they could overcome it. Minako stood gathering the books she had put under her chair when she arrived, her sunny smile a testament to her ability to put bad things behind her.  
  
"Well girls come on, back to class you know, its time to 'Put our noses to the sander' and all," her massacred idiom causing even Ami to wince. With that she left the room, the other girls quickly moving to follow.  
  
"Hey wait, how am I going to get back to class," Rei wailed in dismay as she realized she was miles from her school, and currently officially truant. The departing Michiru gave her a sympathetic glance and nudged her partner. Haruka sighed as it once again fell to her to play taxi for one of the younger girls.  
  
Several days passed in which nothing untoward had happened, though Usagi had the greatest day of her life. The other scouts learned that Setsuna had been so distraught by her information that she had been unable to secure an excuse to get Rei released from class. When Rei had returned to school almost an hour after leaving, with no valid reason for ever having been gone her Sensei had immediately given her a detention, causing her for the first time ever to be late for a Senshi meeting. Usagi had teased her mercilessly for both her detention and tardiness.  
  
The Senshi meetings for the last month had degenerated to little more than formalized gossip sessions, with a small amount of reminiscing over pervious battles. Minako as usual was starry eyed over some boy, and Ami as usual had retreated from the excess emotionality behind her façade of studiousness. Luna and Artemis were both very interested in the non- information that Setsuna had given them and had spent the last four days going over every file that Central had on the Gates and what could be used to block them like that. Unfortunately their sojourn was in vain for Central was unusually vague about the Gates.  
  
The meeting broke up early as there was little to hold them there. Haruka suggested to Michiru that their little family engage in a short shopping spree, much to their delight. Twenty short minutes later the trio had just parked the car when a brilliant golden flash drew the attention of all eyes nearby. There, floating three or four meters off the ground was a man, glowing brightly with a golden light, an inordinately attractive man even Haruka was forced to admit. His outfit was a strange silky shimmering cloth, a platinum undershirt was visible under a strange trailing cloak- vest combination. Its golden half sleeves were covered in some bizarre archaic looking symbols somehow appearing stable however the cloth bent with wind of movement. Loose silver drawstring style pants and calf high platinum boots completed his outfit. The Juuban ward of Tokyo was infamous for its odd happenings. Monsters and alien invasions had become all too common to the citizens of this oft harassed ward. The running and screaming began before the strange man so much as blinked.  
  
"My, that's odd," he spoke to himself in a pleasant tone. "I've never quite had this effect on a crowd before." He called out to anyone able to hear him, "Is it something I'm wearing? Does my cologne stink or something?" Genuinely perplexed the man had no warning when the attack came.  
  
"World Shaking!," The now transformed Sailor Uranus yelled as she sent a sphere of yellow energy burrowing through the ground only to burst up underneath her target bathing him in a combination of its explosive force and projectiles of dislodged concrete.  
  
"Deep Submerging!," the voice of Michiru joined that of her lover as an Aquamarine ball of light joined the yellow on its target.  
  
For an instant the enemy was obscured by the blasts. Long experience had taught the Senshi that remaining still and hoping their first attacks had destroyed their enemy was a futile and foolish this to do. As soon as they had released their attacks Sailors Uranus and Neptune had separated in a well and often practiced flanking manoeuvre, leaving Sailor Saturn to handle the central tine of the forking combat tactic. Sailor Saturn calmly grounded the haft of her enormous Glaive and prepared to set her defences.  
  
"Silence Wall," Saturn spoke in a voice far more calm than her face. Nothing obvious occurred but the little Senshi breathed a small sigh of relief.  
  
The two older girls continued their flanking manoeuvre in the half second that the visible energy pulse caused by their attacks required to fade. They were somewhat shocked to see that their target was completely unaffected by their combined attack, but as this was far from beyond the realm possibility, and had in fact happened before. They knew just what to do in a situation like this.  
  
"World Shaking!"  
  
"Deep Submerging!"  
  
Again the attacks converged on the target. They slammed into him with the force of a freight train, the shockwave blew out every window in the front of the mall. The sound of the explosion was deafening, the wind rush almost instantly cleared the air of dust and debris. As the light faded again all could easily see that the man was still unhurt, and his clothing unsoiled by the powerful attacks. His expression had become somewhat less puzzled and moved more into the realm of offended.  
  
"I say," He began as the echo from the blast receded enough for him to be heard over it  
  
"World Shaking!"  
  
"Deep Submerging!"  
  
The blasts once again struck the man who had as of yet taken no obvious action to either return fire or defend himself from the prismatic energy attacks. As the lights faded from the third attempt the man softly descended the three and a half meters to the ground and casually approached the purple skirted little girl with the large bladed staff. As he neared Hotaru his features became more clear.  
  
Silky looking chocolate brown hair reached the middle of his back despite being held in a pony tail with a silver ring at his shoulder blades. His eyes were an astonishingly piercing green. His face was classically handsome with high cheekbones and a small sharp nose. His complexion was pale, not at all like the pale of someone that worked indoors but more like someone of Celtic descent. He was neither thin nor heavily muscled, instead he was built more like a swimmer. His casual walk showed effortless predatory grace. Hotaru had the disturbing mental image of a cat stalking a mouse as he approached her.  
  
He stopped not quite a meter in front of her grounded weapon, mere centimetres in front of the invisible yet highly tangible force field created by her earlier action. She looked up to meet his gaze and absently noted that though he was taller than her, Setsuna or Makoto probably overtopped him.  
  
"Pardon me little one," he said to her with a strange accent, "but I can't help but notice that your friends are trying to kill me," he said as yet another pair of energy blasts struck him from behind. "You wouldn't happen to be able to tell me what I've done wrong would you?"  
  
Hotaru felt like she was swallowing her tongue, her throat was thick and she was completely unable to form words. Not only was this strange man apparently unhurt by the older girls attacks, he was apparently not really even concerned with them, only noting them in passing as evidence that yes in fact someone was trying quite hard to kill him. Incoherent sounds came from her throat as she tried valiantly to form the words to make her fear understood. He nodded sagely at her as if he appreciated her plight.  
  
"Don't bother trying to talk," he said gently, "just think loud and I'll hear you."  
  
It was at that point that Haruka upped the ante in the one sided combat. Haruka withdrew the Space Sword from her subspace pocket and called out a new attack.  
  
"Space Sword Blaster!," she screamed as a blade-like force of yellow energy left her weapon to strike the man in the back.  
  
Hotaru had the best possible view of his face as the attack hit, he didn't flicker an eyelash, there was no response that he even acknowledged the fatally intended strike. Sputtering in abject terror as the literal impossible happened within a meter of her, Hotaru was torn between leaving her Silence Wall up and praying to all the Kami that it would withstand whatever attack he eventually threw at them, and striking him quickly with her Silence Glaive Surprise. The decision was taken from her as his eyes narrowed in terrible irritation.  
  
"Even the child is thinking about killing me, Neko is gonna laugh his ass off at this one," he muttered bitterly. Turning quickly to face his two assailants he made an absent gesture with his hand and Sailor Uranus flew backwards with incredible speed as if struck hard by some unseen blow. She impacted the outer partition of the Juuban mall, its thick concrete wall hardly hindering her flight. The sound of explosively breaking bones echoed louder than the noise of shattering stone as she disappeared into the newly created hole.  
  
A cry of despair tore itself from the throat of the aqua haired beauty in the like coloured skirt. A snarl contorted her beautiful face into a mask of rage as the man stalked toward her with a feline grace. With a tearing motion Michiru withdrew her Deep Aqua Mirror and readied herself to reflect the power of the bastard's attack back at him. When he simply continued forward and failed to attack in any way she grew desperate.  
  
"Well, come on attack me, are you to cowardly to kill me like you did Sailor Uranus you bastard," she taunted trying frantically in her fury and anguish to incite him to attack her as well. He stopped within arms reach of her with a sad expression on his face.  
  
"I'm truly sorry for your pain pretty one, but you're compatriot intended to kill me," his voice carried his sorrow at having hurt the brave one but her intent had grown too serious to ignore. "She still lives. If it is your intent to save her though you'll need to act quickly, her life fades as we speak." It was obvious that he had more to say, but Michiru could take no more.  
  
Her lover was probably dead, despite the obvious lies the murderer tried to convince her of. Her magical attacks had been less than useless against this fiend, but he seemed to have taken offence at Haruka's Space Sword Blaster, maybe it had hurt him. Out of options and wanting to die with her lover Michiru leapt forward to attack him physically. Michiru had very little actual combat training in the first place, the majority of her martial skills were half remembered fragments of her apprenticeship as Sailor Neptune in the ancient Moon Kingdom. Her emotions were running too high however for her to fight him intelligently, her fingers curled into claws and she tore at him in mindless fury.  
  
"Kalrah." He spoke just loud enough to be heard and she slumped to the ground blackness covering her vision.  
  
Hotaru had long since hit the emergency call button on her communicator, the other girls would only be minutes away, but Haruka and Michiru were both dead. Haruka tossed through a meter thick concrete wall and Michiru somehow killed with a word. She doubted that when the other girls arrived that she would be alive either, but this man would not find her to be easy meat.  
  
"Silence Glaive Surprise!," Hotaru called out as she made a slashing motion with her weapon. A wide angle cone of distorted air moved forward from the arcing path of the blade. Total silence fell over the battlefield as the vibrations tore cars, poles, walls, and even the parking lot itself from the ground. The devastating force cone disintegrated everything in its path. The enemy made a quick evasive manoeuvre as the cone struck, but was unable to get out of the way. The overwhelming silence of the attack lasted less than a second but when it was done a fine dust quickly settled to the ground, revealing an apparently uninjured man, standing upright holding Michiru's corpse in his arms looking very angry.  
  
"You little fool," he shouted all pretence of politeness gone from his voice. "Your entropy wave nearly killed your fellow soldiers." he was saying as he was interrupted.  
  
"They're already dead," Hotaru cried out tears rolling from her eyes in agony at her loss.  
  
"No, they live, no thanks to your foolishness, here check for yourself, she breathes yet." He chided her once again in a soft voice. "The brave, tall one also lives, but not for much longer if you continue to dawdle." He knelt down carefully laying Michiru on the ground. Almost as an afterthought he withdrew a small vial of a pale blue liquid from his mantel and laid it gently on the sleeping young woman. "If you act quickly, this potion will heal the wounds of your friend that I struck," he added as he stepped away from Michiru. "We will meet again little one, Leisu," with that the man disappeared from sight in an eye wrenching twist of space.  
  
Quickly, Hotaru ran to Michiru's downed form, just as the man had said she was breathing. She seemed asleep. Gathering the mysterious vial carefully she dashed into the now open wall from the mall. Haruka was easily located, lying curled in a broken heap on a shattered display case for music CD's. One look convinced Hotaru that bringing this mysterious potion was a good idea, Haruka's injuries were far far beyond even her Senshi form's ability to heal. With a quick prayer to the Kami for the risk she was about to take Hotaru poured the elixir into Haruka's open mouth.  
  
Though it seemed that Haruka should have been far beyond consciousness her horrifying pain filled screams split the air the instant the potion touched her. Sickening grating sounds filled the spaces between screams as Haruka's broken bones moved back into place with agonizing slowness. Hotaru was noisily ill from the crackling and tearing sounds of her guardian's flesh and bones reforming. After several long seconds of silence descended on the deserted mall, Hotaru once again braved to glance at Haruka, her uniform was a total loss, she was covered in dried blood and bruises but she was alive and breathing strongly. Hotaru gathered her Haruka-otusan in her arms and cried in relief.  
  
"Girls, there's Neptune, Mars." a voice called out from outside the shattered mall.  
  
"I'm on it Venus, ok, She's alive it looks like something knocked her out," Mars returned.  
  
"Where's Uranus and Saturn?," questioned the voice of Moon.  
  
"I'm picking up Saturn's energy readings from just inside the mall, it looks like Uranus is in there as well, but her readings are very faint. I think she's hurt," the ever practical Mercury stated as she began picking her way over the piles of blasted wall.  
  
Moon, Venus, and Mercury made their way into the building and located Saturn and Uranus. Saturn still held Uranus cradled in her lap crying softly, unable to even explain what happened. Mars and Jupiter came in, sharing the burden of the unconscious Neptune. With unspoken agreement the girls layed Neptune next to her fallen lover and gathered in a circle around them. Joining hands the Inner Senshi called out in one voice.  
  
"Sailor Teleport!" The mall was once again quiet save for the distant sound of emergency vehicle sirens.  
  
Eight girls, two cats and young man gathered in a large bedroom. Two of the girls, one with long aqua coloured hair, and one a short cropped blond, rested half reclined on the bed, the aqua haired girl cradling her blond companion protectively. The man held one of the other girls on his lap, this one a beautiful blond with a truly strange hairstyle. She wore an expression of worry and concern on her face, but still seemed to radiate an aura of contentment at where she was. A pair of dark young women sat near the door, the smaller of the two looked as if she had been crying recently, while the older one had a protective look about her. A tall statuesque brunette sat in an overstuffed chair in the far corner of the room, the black cat sat almost primly in her lap. Yet another blond, this one with her hair tied back by a red bow sat on the arm of the chair occupied by the brunette, a sleepy looking white cat curled in her lap, its tail hanging over and occasionally brushing the head of the black cat nearby. A slightly built blue haired girl sat in the last chair in the room, at a small writing desk. She chewed absently on her lip as she worked intently on a laptop style computer resting on the desk.  
  
"Well," Ami started. "From the readings I took of the area when we arrived there's not a lot I can tell you. There were virtually no traces of any magical energy other than your own," she said looking between the three present outer Senshi. "From what little I did find I can tell you this much, his energy signature doesn't match any of our previous enemies. The traces he left behind were actually quite similar to Elios and Prince Endymion's."  
  
"I don't remember anyone like this guy from Atlantis, Ami. Besides, with all due respect to the Outers, he just casually handed three of the most powerful Senshi their asses and we can't even verify that he got so much as scratched in the process." Mamoru Chiba, A.K.A. Tuxedo Mask, A.K.A. Prince Endymion of Atlantis commented in an irritated tone.  
  
"While I understand your feelings Mamoru, this evidence points to." Ami continued until she was interrupted  
  
"He was injured by my Silence Glaive," Hotaru stated firmly. "It was hard to see it, but he had a small scratch on his hand where he held Michiru during the attack." The rest of the girls looked shocked at Hotaru's casual admission of unleashing something with the destructive potential as the Silence Glaive with one of her friends in the path.  
  
Ami moved quickly to Michiru's side and began to scan her for traces of the enemy's blood. It didn't take long for her efforts to be rewarded. On the side of her arm was an invisible to the naked eye trace of blood that her computer assured her did not belong to any of the scouts. As the computer continued to analyse the sample Ami's expression became more and more horrified. The others in the room stayed quiet, hardly daring to breathe during the computers long processing of information.  
  
After nearly ten minutes a beep signified the program had run its course. Immediately the screen displayed several graphs and indicated it had dumped a more complete report of its findings in storage for her perusal. Ami flatly refused to believe the preposterous data her obviously demented computer presented.  
  
"Um, Ami?," Minako asked slightly shaking her by the shoulder. "Are you ok?" Ami uttered an oath the others were quite surprised she knew the meaning of, let alone would use in mixed company. Luna took this opportunity to leap off Makoto's lap and approach the shaken girl.  
  
"What is it Ami," the cat asked in a no nonsense voice.  
  
"What is it?," Ami responded in a not entirely stable voice. "What is it? You want me to explain what this stupid computer is telling me? Fine, here goes. Everything on this planet, every alien and every monster we have ever encountered has had on thing in common. Our DNA is all composed of just four different components, four proteins that stack together in unimaginably long chains to form our chromosomes. Trees, us, Anne and Ali, Beryl, Galaixa, youma, even the Death Phantom. Sure different types of creatures have different numbers of chromosomes, but this guy has something like fifty different proteins making up his DNA, and more like two thousand chromosomal pairs rather than our twenty six. Along with that completely incomprehensible data was the fact that his DNA seems to be both material and energy state. Don't ask me how he can have energy based proteins in him, don't ask me why if he is so different from us that he looks human. All I can swear to is this, whoever he is, whatever he is, wherever he's from, if this tiny blood sample is any indication of his total body composition he's carrying way more energy inside him that the Silver Imperium Crystal."  
  
Ami's statement proved to be a show stopper, no one felt like talking about scout business after hearing something like that. Privately Haruka wondered why she survived. She knew quite well that she stood no chance against someone wielding the Silver Imperium Crystal, and if this guy had that kind of power he should have swatted her like a fly. Ami had kept one observation to herself, one secret revealed by the computer in its analysis of the obviously alien blood. There were two other beings that had more than the four basic protein codes, Princess Serenity, not Usagi Tsukino, but the true form she assumed in times of great need, and her daughter Chibi-Usa both had ten.  
  
It didn't take long for the Senshi to learn some of what their new enemy was up to. The next morning news broadcasts all over the world carried stories of mysterious acts eco-terrorism. Two million acres of rain forest in China and South America spontaneously regrew. The lumber teams clearing them were nowhere to be found. Over one hundred offshore oil rigs dropped from radio contact a few minutes after one in the morning. Most puzzling was the disappearance of every nuclear power station on the planet, half of Japan was in a blackout, and America was fairing no better. It seemed someone had taken exception to how the world was being run, and they were willing and able to take steps.  
  
Juuban district luckily got its electricity from one of Japan's many geothermal power plants, there wasn't enough to go around, but all government buildings, schools and places where food was stored and prepared took precedence in the power rationing. In an effort to more easily meet the needs The Japanese government ordered half the schools in Japan closed during the crisis. The displaced students were then quickly reassigned to the nearest open school. The classes would be crowded but without power a modern education was deemed impossible. So it was a bemused Rei that made her was to her new school, its white fuku and its blue skirt and collar did little to aid her self esteem at being one of the many displaced students now attending Juuban.  
  
On the positive side of this large mess was the fact that she had her classes with her fellow Senshi. On the negative side, the projections of the school board placed the class size at nearly sixty students, thankfully the displaced teachers were also going to be there to assist. Sixty students and half of them boys, for the first time in her life she had to attend classes with boys. With her luck all the boys in her class were perverts. With that dark thought in mind Rei squared her shoulders and prepared to become the most popular girl in her new class.  
  
Usagi was running late, as usual. Even with Luna treating her as a scratching post to chase her out of bed, Usagi still managed to leave the house later than she could really afford to. Usagi really should have been on the track team. She was late often enough that the time after school would have made no difference in her life, she was there more often than not in detention anyway, and she was beyond the shadow of a doubt the fastest girl in her class, possibly the school. She got that much practice racing the clock.  
  
Makoto walked through the gates to Juuban High School fifteen minutes before the bell and took note of the large crowd milling about the courtyard. In the week since the mysterious disappearance of the power plants the school board had moved with decisive quickness to meet the challenge of educating Tokyo's youth. As was her custom when she encountered crowds, she scanned the boys in the crowd for a hopeful glimpse of her old Sempai. It was less than useless in this crowd, as her Sempai would have long since graduated, he was Mamoru's age after all, but there was always the chance of seeing her next crush before Minako got a chance too.  
  
Minako had woken up over an hour early, she took an extra twenty minutes on her appearance, and made sure her outfit was looking its absolute best. Her skirt had stealthily been altered to be a centimetre or two shorter than most, the waist if the shirt had been taken in just the slightest to accentuate her bust and slim waist. Her makeup was blended with the professional skill she had learned in her days modelling as Sailor V. Making one last check in the hallway mirror, Minako was convinced she looked the absolute best she could within the strict guidelines of the Juuban High School dress code. Five minutes later she seductively sauntered through the gates of the school, a full 10 minutes before the bell. Head held high and eyes already cataloguing and separating the new boys into their proper cuteness categories, Minako felt like she had died and gone to heaven, there were just so many new boys to choose from.  
  
Ami had been in her classroom for the last half hour. She was privately glad that she had studied for those extra fifteen minutes last night. With as many students as there were going to be in this class now, the teachers would have little to no time for individual instruction. It was a pity, it had been conclusively proven that students learned better in smaller more individualized groups within their own learning speed. While Ami privately cheered the regrowth of the rain forests and the stopping of the pollution causing offshore oil derricks, the loss of power and the corresponding degradation of the Japanese education system was an offence she could not forgive. Yes she had plans, and once she got a hold of this new enemy he would pay dearly for disrupting her education.  
  
Haruka pulled up in her parking spot, privately glad that her position as the head of the racing club assured that her parking pass was secure against the influx of more distantly located transfer students. Michiru and Hotaru climbed out of the car and gave the milling throng a look of pity. It had only been last year when Mugen Academy had been destroyed in the battle against Mistress Nine and her army of damien. Haruka led the way into the school, her gruff way of walking and reputation clearing a path to the front door for her smaller and less forceful roommates.  
  
Hotaru followed her guardian through the crowd that obscured the front door. Her natural shyness and well founded fear of rejection causing her to shrink away from the large group of unknown people. Michiru's comforting hand on her shoulder made her feel better, but the way it looked to her was sixty students per class meant fifty nine people to ridicule and hate her.  
  
Michiru sighed as she felt Hotaru flinch away from a student that the crowd had accidentally pushed into their path. He gave them a cute apologetic smile, but Hotaru was to nervous of people to see the comforting look for what it was. Michiru smiled back at him and privately began to worry about Haruka. Haruka was a very competitive person, this new influx of people would almost have to contain at least one person that would not take Haruka or Michiru's rejection of their advances well. She wondered privately how long it would be before Haruka got in a fight with someone over it. It was almost a good thing, Michiru thought privately, Haruka had been depressed and snarling since her defeat at the hands of the new enemy. Maybe beating up a boy or two that would not take no for an answer would help her with her self esteem problem that even Michiru's love had not solved.  
  
Setsuna had her work cut out for her. It had taken days to get the school board to take Thomas Aquinas Academy students here at Juuban, but since there was only one of her, she could not be in two places at once, and this power shortage was just the thing any new enemy needed to send people into the schools where the Senshi attended. Getting Rei here may have had the side effect of putting all the Senshi in one target, but it also put them all behind the same shield. She had not lived for ten thousand years at the Gates of Time doing nothing. Though the Gates were useless at the present time, she still had her mind, and all she had to do was go through the transcripts of every new student in the school. Two thousand transcripts to go through to make sure her Princess and fellow Senshi were safe, she may have lost the Time Gates, but this war was far from over, and this enemy was not going to take her by surprise again.  
  
Usagi could see the gates of the school ahead of her, and unless she was mistaken she still had five minutes before the bell. All the running she'd been doing as a late student and a Sailor Senshi was beginning to pay off. She had long ago lost the catastrophic klutziness that had marked her early teenage years, and the run to school now rarely included tripping over her own feet or running down wayward people and telephone poles. It was because of those thoughts that she was most shocked to find herself slamming headfirst into the back of someone as she crossed through the gates onto the school grounds.  
  
Tenjin was confused, very very confused. His class schedule might as well have been written in Aramaic. His uniform was so new that it still caused him to itch, and he was sure that the boy running the school store had given him the wrong books, the classes here couldn't be that easy. He spared a glance over at his lifelong friend Konjou, and saw that as expected, Konjou was busy looking over the female population of their new environment. He had to privately admit that there were quite a few nice specimens here. Somewhat glad that the sheer number of people here made anyone getting too good a look at him just shy of impossible Tenjin set out to find someone, anyone that looked like they could help him with the gibberish that was his class schedule.  
  
Konjou was in heaven, there were just so many girls here for him to look over. It was a sea of pretty girls and the Kami knew he craved some attention that only pretty girls could give. Tenjin seemed to know where he was going, which was a good thing because he couldn't understand a damn thing that piece of paper was supposed to be telling him about his classes. His books were in his bag, but he had yet to look at them. Not that he was stupid, he just didn't feel the need to worry about it, things had a way of taking care of themselves if you just gave them time. Tenjin turned and started heading toward the entry doors to the school, and Konjou moved to follow when one hundred and five pounds of pretty girl slammed into his back like a freight train.  
  
"Ite!," Usagi wailed as she found herself on her butt, rubbing her head at the stinging impact with the stranger. "What is it with guys," she muttered, "what do they do wear armour under their uniforms or something." She stated, remembering the uncountable number of times she had found herself in just this position after running into Mamoru in her younger days.  
  
"Are you ok miss?," A smoky passionate voice asked her from the general direction of the living brick wall she had just rebounded off of.  
  
"Hai, hai I'm o." her voice left her as she lifted her eyes to meet that gaze of the boy currently offering her a hand up. He was beautiful, there was no other word for it. His piercing golden eyes nearly stopped her breath and made talking an impossibility. He was well built, like one would expect a long time martial arts student to be, and his regulation short cropped black hair was darker even than Rei's. "ok," she finally managed to force past her thickened tongue.  
  
"Glad to hear it," he replied smoothly as he gently took her hand and helped her to her feet. He had yet to release her hand or her gaze, and her eyes were still locked on his, when a voice intruded.  
  
"So Usagi, does this mean I can have Mamoru then?" Makoto teased from a few meters away.  
  
Usagi's hand pulled free from Konjou's so fast it make a sound like snapping fingers. "No!, err no Makoto this nice person here..  
  
"Nekojin Konjou, at your service ladies," the man smoothly answered.  
  
"Right, Nekojin-san helped me up after I accidentally ran into him." Usagi finished a bit breathlessly.  
  
"Please Usagi-san call me Konjou, all my friends do," he said shooting a glance at the man with his back still turned to them. "Hey Tenjin, introduce yourself, to the ladies here," he called out with a wink in the girls direction.  
  
"No time Konjou, I still don't understand this stupid schedule," he muttered. Almost as soon as he finished though, the boy spun around and with a smile on his face spoke. "Forgive my rudeness ladies, I've been having a bad day already, and my class list makes no sense," he shook his head as he spoke. "You wouldn't be able to assist me would you? By the way, my name is Gogyou Tenjin, but like my not so subtle friend you may just call me Tenjin."  
  
Makoto and Usagi's brains were in shutdown mode. While Usagi may have been very happily involved with Mamoru, she was still breathing. Konjou was handsome, her previous assessment of beautiful was wrong. Despite his perfect form he couldn't be beautiful, not as long as Toujin was alive anyway. Toujin was the archetype, the absolute pinnacle of bishonen. Like Konjou, his hair was black, but while Konjou's hair was nearly stygian, Toujin's was more like a raven feather. The two young men's appearance was close enough in some aspects to make the girls wonder absently if they were related.  
  
Makoto desperately wracked her brain for whatever question the cute boys, boy, whatever had asked her, something about a date she was almost positive. "Sure I will," she answered already picturing the look on Minako's face when she saw Makoto's new boyfriend. Her expression became even more overjoyed when he gave her a piece a paper, obviously his number. She took it quickly prepared to memorize it and eat the evidence to keep Minako from ever learning it. Her surprise was total though when she realised it was his class schedule. "Anno?... why did you give me your schedule?"  
  
A patient look marked his face as he looked her in the eyes. "You were going to tell me where my class is, remember?," he chided gently.  
  
Makoto was mortified, now that she thought about it, that is what he had asked. Her little daydream just made her look like a total fool in front of the two most gorgeous guys in the school. She felt like crawling in a hole and dying to spare herself any further embarrassment. Makoto blushed all the way to her toes as she looked at the paper that was the cause of all her misery. She couldn't understand Toujin's difficulty, there at the top was his group number followed by the classes the group had. The setup was just like that of any class schedule in Japan. He had probably meant that he didn't know where his class was and needed directions. Luckily, for her continued chances at getting one of the boys to ask her out, they were in her class.  
  
It was at that time that the two minute warning bell rang out telling the students that they should be headed into their classes. As Makoto began to speak up that they should follow her to their mutual classroom, a voice from her darkest nightmares of boy hunting sounded out from over her shoulder.  
  
"Sugoi! You're in my class! Aino Minako at your service," the excitable blond nearly chirped as she moved forward to take Toujin's hand.  
  
"Um, right thanks," Toujin said as he was swept up in the whirlwind that was Mina.  
  
Mina made her way through the crowd like a smiling wrecking ball dragging an amazed Toujin in her wake. He didn't have a chance, Mina thought to herself. Besides there were two of them and Usagi already had Mamoru.  
  
"Err, by the way Aino-san my name is Gogyou Toujin, but you can call me Touj."  
  
"Toujin-chan," Mina said in a deceptively calm voice, "if you call me Aino-san again I'll cry. When you meet my mother you can call her Aino- san, but I'm much too young and pretty for you to be so formal." Mina finished with a beautiful smile on her face. "Just call me Mina, and I'll call you Toujin ok?"  
  
"Er, right whatever you say Mina-chan" Toujin answered nervously scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Yo Toujin," Konjou called from the hallway, "wait for us man."  
  
Toujin looked back and shook his head ruefully. Not only was Konjou travelling with the two girls they had met outside but a few more had at some point in their trip indoors joined his entourage. As the girls met up and exchanged greetings Toujin pulled Konjou away from his fast forming harem for a few words. "Remember Konjou, low profile, no standing out in a crowd and for Kami sakes behave yourself, it hasn't been that long since you were with a girl."  
  
Konjou's head snapped around so fast at the end of Toujin's speech that he nearly got whiplash. "Hasn't been that long, you have got to be shitting me its been over." he retorted acidly until a voice cut through his fast opening rant.  
  
"Toujin, it seems that with all these new seats in the class the teachers want us to each sit with new students and help show them around. Do you want to sit with me," of course it was Mina asking the question that had interrupted Konjou, and the answer was known before the question had been asked. There was no male in the world stupid enough to answer that question incorrectly.  
  
The school day was almost the worst case scenario for the two boys. Not only were the classes so easy that they had more trouble staying awake than answering the questions, but the attention that they got from admiring females, and jealous males made an already stressful day near to an exercise in mass homicide. The day was half over before anything good happened, lunch. The food they had brought was probably a bit excessive but it was better to over prepare than to go hungry later. Makoto had managed to capture Konjou as her seat partner, and Usagi had ended up with Rei. Ami ended up partnering up with a girl that had yet to open her eyes, she seemed to believe that school was a place to rest between parties. Toujin privately wondered what it would cost to rent her for the evening for Konjou.  
  
Lunch went well despite the strange argument between Rei and Usagi the ended with the two of them sticking their tongues out at each other from a distance of millimetres. Toujin wrote it off as the two being most likely frustrated lovers. It was a bit of a pity though about Rei being of that persuasion, looking at her reminded him of just how long it really had been. Math class quickly followed lunch, then it was time for their P.E. course.  
  
Toujin entered the locker room grumbling to himself about high school students doing something as easy as non-Euclidian spherical geometry, and how could the teacher not be aware of the special properties of circumscribed tetrahedral geometry. With a sigh at just how far behind they were Toujin changed into his gym outfit.  
  
On his way out the door he spotted Konjou lingering near the fence that separated the boys and girls sides of the athletics area. As usual Konjou was deeply involved in a conversation with yet another unknown female. This girl was blushing so bad it was easy to see that it continued past her neck. With an promise of bloody painful vengeance against whatever higher powers were testing him so by having to deal with Konjou's one track mind, Toujin once again went to gather his wayward accomplice.  
  
"Konjou, haven't we had this discussion already today," Toujin said with an air of exasperation.  
  
"Ah Toujin, Hikari and I were just talking about you, weren't we my dear?," Konjou said to her in a conspiratal tone. Her blush grew deeper, though Toujin had trouble imagining that as possible. The girl, Hikari, looked ready to die of embarrassment. Toujin felt it was his duty to save her from Konjou's attention, and with no further comment he bowed to Hikari and pulled Konjou away from the fence.  
  
"I swear Konjou, I can't take my eyes of you for five minutes without you doing your absolute best to draw attention to us," Toujin said not realizing that nearly every girl on the other side of the fence, and half the boys on this side were already staring at them for one reason or another. "We really need to tone down what we do in this class, it would be too easy to stand out if were not careful," Toujin said as he watched some of the other students beginning to stretch out waiting for their Sensei.  
  
The Sensei arrived a few moments later with about a half dozen others. The Sensei had decided that as he only knew about half the class, that today would be a day for brutal callisthenics followed by a few laps on the track, just to see where everyone was in their physical condition. The Sensei was a slave driver, his callisthenic routines were something out of the nightmares of the soccer team. Toujin and Konjou had more trouble faking the tiny amount of exertion they believed the others needed to see than the workout itself caused. After a gruelling twenty minute workout, the Sensei told the boys to hit the track. His assignment was simple, twelve laps, or twenty minutes, whichever came first. The Sensei wasn't stupid, twelve laps amounted to six kilometres, and there were few high school students that could maintain the kind of lap time needed to complete the assignment before the time ran out.  
  
The girls P.E. class was understandably similar to the boys today. The gathered Inner Senshi performed far better in the workout than many would have expected of them. Though everyone knew Minako and Makoto were quite athletic, even after all this time few people had expected Usagi, or even more shocking shy Mizuno Ami to be that well in shape. All throughout the heavy workout the girls continued to chatter with one another.  
  
"That was low this morning Mina," Makoto complained in a half hearted tone. "You stole Toujin before I even got a chance to really talk to him."  
  
"You would have done the same to me," Mina commented absently as her eyes raked the boys across the quad looking for her newest crush. "Besides you know what they say, 'The early bird gets the germ'."  
  
Usagi and Rei burst out laughing, and Ami looked like she had bitten into something rotten after hearing that massacred idiom. The girls had finished their workout just in time to see the boys taking the track, with an evil glint in her eye the Sensei of the girls' class spoke up with their next assignment.  
  
"Ok girls," She said with supreme satisfaction. "Let's give the boys something to run for, get on the track, and whatever you do don't let any boys outrun you." Satisfied that the boys need to show off for the girls and the girls sense of competitiveness would resolve itself nicely on the track, Nakoudo-san smiled at a job well done.  
  
Usagi felt wonderful, she wasn't running all out, but she was moving quickly enough to take the lead in her little impromptu race with the rest of the Inners. Makoto was close enough to her to make the lead anything but comfortable, but that just proven how much she had improved since Luna first talked her into becoming Sailor Moon. Rei and Mina struggled desperately for third place, the fierce grins on their faces demonstrating their friendly rivalry. A half dozen meters back Ami ran with a measured tireless ground eating pace, that promised to overtake anyone that overtaxed themselves. As they crossed the marker for the first lap Ami began to hear someone behind her talking in a low voice.  
  
"Toujin, do we absolutely have to pass them?," the voice of Konjou registered in her ears. "They look so good from this angle."  
  
"The Sensei said twelve laps, and I want to finish this before class ends," Toujin replied.  
  
With that Ami could feel someone moving up behind her, before she really had a chance to further consider their words, the two boys passed her like she was standing still. Ami tried to estimate how fast they were moving, and estimated by the one hundred meter marks that the boys were running close to thirty kilometres an hour. She smiled, at their best they could maintain that for no more than a lap or two, there was no need to try to keep up.  
  
She was having one of the best days of her life. She had met the two cutest boys alive, had managed to gather the undivided attention of one of the aforementioned boys. Sure she was in school, which was generally considered to be a bad thing except for boy hunting, but she was still flying high from her success at getting the cuter of the pair of them out from under Makoto's nose, which is why she wasn't making any real effort to pass Makoto on the track. She was deep in her fantasies involving long romantic walks and stolen goodnight kisses when she felt a hand slide across her bottom. Minako yelped in surprise from the contact and nearly fell as she temporarily lost her footing. A hand steadied her and she looked gratefully at her saviour. Toujin smiled down at her as he increased pace to catch back up to her friend. She was a little upset that he would be so forward with her after only knowing her for a few hours, much less being that way in public. But if he wanted to up the ante to light petting like that, she would be more than happy to oblige. Mina ran faster in an attempt to catch up in this new game Toujin had decided to start.  
  
Rei grinned as she put on a small burst of speed and once again passed Mina, she knew that Mina was the better runner but that didn't mean that she wouldn't give beating the blond her all. It was as she expected Mina to pass her on the inside of the track that it happened, two boys were passing her by very quickly and Mina gave a yelp. As she turned her head to check on Mina, someone pinched her butt. By the time she whipped her head around the two boys were too far away for her to really be sure which one did it, but she would get them for this. The boys were good friends, and as far as she was concerned, they were both responsible. Rei took off running as fast as she could, oh yes, those two would pay for that.  
  
The run was exhilarating, it had become a rare then in that last few years for Makoto to truly let loose like this without it being a life or death matter. She was making excellent time, none of the boys stood a chance of catching her. Of course she was far behind Usagi, but there weren't many people alive that could keep up with Usagi in a footrace. As long as she stayed in front of the rest of the Inners she would feel just dandy. When the boys followed by and irate Rei and a grinning Minako passed her she knew it was time to give it her all.  
  
I'm going to kill him, Toujin thought. I'm gonna kill him dead and stuff his bones in a black hole. Toujin had been lightly jogging behind Mina, he was moderately surprised that the girls weren't going any faster, but he guessed that they felt no rush to complete the assignment. As he had been busy envisioning what Minako looked like under the athletics uniform she wore, Konjou and reached out with one of his special tricks and made her feel like someone had felt her butt, just at the time that he would have been in position to accomplish the feat physically. This of course made Mina think he had done it. Not one to let something like that go unavenged, Toujin had returned the favour on Rei, if he was right about her sexual orientation, Rei would give Konjou a beating he would never forget. This of course did little to assuage his temper about Konjou starting the whole incident. The last thing he needed on his plate right now was the addition of the troubles a boy crazy sixteen year old with a body built for exploring would add to his life. Mina was already going to be trouble, and though he appreciated her looks, he didn't want to encourage her. Oh yes, he thought, Konjou is going to suffer for this.  
  
Perfect, absolutely perfect, Konjou thought. Not only was Mina trying keep up, so was the little black haired one. What was her name again, he wondered, Mai. no, Yuka. no, Rei that was it. Of course Rei didn't seem to be chasing them for the reasons he'd like but having a pretty girl chasing you for any reason was a step in the right direction. There was only one person ahead of him on the track and they were quickly approaching the start of the third lap. The girl ahead of him was the truly beautiful Usagi, there was just something about that expressive face, and the long streamers of hair that made her look like her namesake, that made him wonder if she tasted like rabbit. Oh well, he thought, better move quicker, Toujin almost caught me.  
  
Usagi wouldn't take being passed lightly. She was the fastest Senshi, the fastest girl in her school, and no matter how cute they were these boys simply were not allowed to outrun her. Usagi reached deep into herself to the part of her that was used to being fifteen minutes late out the door and started to truly run. Her hair flew behind her in the slipstream of her body like golden streamers on a jets wing.  
  
The boys Sensei was astounded, those six kids were quite easily breaking school records for the two kilometre run. If they could even hold half that speed for the remaining eight laps they should all be on the track team. He looked over at the new girls Sensei Nakoudo-san and she gave him a grin that told her she had expected this. He shook his head and watched in amazement as the kids crossed the lap marker again. Watching a seventh student pick up the pace to match them he wondered if it was something in the water.  
  
Not that it had been in question Konjou thought, but he and Toujin had finished the laps long before the rest of the boys, of course the fact that Usagi had crossed the finish line before they had made it to the bleachers was fairly startling, that her friends were within a lap of her was even more so. "So girls," he said as he approached where they were sitting. "What do you do to keep in that good of shape," he inquired with a not very innocent grin.  
  
Rei looked at him from where she lay on the bleachers, an air of exhaustion infusing her. "If I weren't so tired I'd hurt you I swear it to the Kami. And don't think I have forgotten what you did to me hentai."  
  
The school day quickly ended after that and the girls found themselves headed to the jinja. The Outers had promised to show up today and further discuss the new enemy. They needed every scrap of information they could gather if they were to stand a chance at defeating an enemy that could survive a Silence Glaive Surprise. As they passed through the Juuban open air market Makoto swore bitterly.  
  
"Girls, I think we have a problem," she said as she pointed over at one of the fruit stalls. Standing there eyeing the fresh picked cherries like it was something normal for evil alien terrorists. Was the man the Outers had described, minus the flight and golden glow. "We need to change now before he has a chance to do anything to all these people," she said casting an eye at the several hundred innocent civilians in the path.  
  
The girls quickly ducked into an alley. Ami hit the emergency button on her communicator and using the trick Hotaru had recently taught them, assumed their Senshi forms with a minimum of wasted time and fanfare. To get the attention of the evil alien, and give the civilians time to fell the combat zone, Sailor Moon leapt to the top of a light pole drew her spiral moon wand and yelled out a challenge.  
  
"For your evil ways and the destruction of the way of life for millions of innocent Japanese and other people would wide, in the name of the moon, we will punish you." Usagi felt kind of odd saying that now that she was older. What had sounded so brave and inspiring when she was fourteen, sounded sort of eechi to her now.  
  
Civilians seeing Sailor Moon give her speech, did what came natural to anyone living in Juuban for more than a few weeks, they ran as fast as the could from the market. The strange man looked at the precariously perched Sailor Moon and burst out laughing. Usagi flushed red with indignation and privately decided if this creep was going to laugh at her then she didn't have to be quite so nice when she dusted him. The rest of the Inner Senshi were torn with indecision, on one hand this guy was obviously the man that had so terribly wounded Haruka, but no one had ever seen him do anything bad until he was attacked. Ami on the other hand had done some research into the disappearance of the oil derricks and power plants. That act was most obviously don't using the kind of power this man wielded, and until she had evidence that he was not alone she would hold him solely responsible for the damage to her education caused by overcrowding.  
  
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" Tendrils of blue energy streamed towards the laughing man who as of yet had shown no concern at being attacked.  
  
The ice magic curled around him in an effort to freeze him solid. With a motion much like shrugging he strode forward from the attack and glared at the young girls. "I never got the chance to ask your little friends this," he said in a casual tone of voice, "but just what the hell is your problem?" He was obviously annoyed about something. That much the girls could easily tell. Unnoticed by the girls earlier a large black cat sat at the side of his feet, its head nearly came to his hip. The cat seemed annoyed by the cold magic his owner ignored. "I'm only going to ask you five one time, just once to leave me alone. I haven't tried to hurt you, In fact I don't even know who you are, but if you continue to provoke me the consequences will be dire." With the end of his statement he turned around and began to walk away.  
  
A rose formed of the magic of prince Endymion rebounded off his shoulder as he took his first step, a small drop of blood welled from the point of impact. "How dare you threaten the defenders of love and justice," Endymion's voice called out from a nearby rooftop. "Your acts of worldwide terrorism and destruction are well known to us and it will not be forgiven!"  
  
The cat sitting at the man's feet looked back and forth between the Tuxedo clad defender of Sailor Moon and the drop of blood on his master's shoulder. With a very humanlike gesture of shaking his head the cat layed down in the middle of the street and prepared to take a nap. His master on the other hand touched his finger to the droplet and glared dangerously at Endymion.  
  
"Allow me to inform you of something you are obviously unaware of," he stated his voice colder than the depths of space. "You just accomplished something that hasn't been done in the time your specie has had knowledge of how to make fire, you just actually made me angry." In a blurring of motion that was hard to track he leapt to the rooftop where Endymion stood. The girls readied their attacks but few of them had anything they could use with their target so close to their prince. Before Endymion could react the stranger grabbed him by the lapel of his suit and lifted him one handed out to arm reach distance over the edge of the building. "I generally don't bother giving my name to dead men, but allow me to introduce myself to you and your friends before you depart. My name is Mordaki, Primarch of Form and Nature, Second born of the Ulterran. Cherish that knowledge in the hereafter." With that he simply backhanded Endymion hard enough to nearly snap his neck. With a casual toss Mordaki threw the Prince of Earth off the roof like a rag doll. Endymion unconsciously fell towards the ground only to be saved by Sailor Moon, her teary eyes blazing with anger at Mori for injuring her beloved.  
  
Now that Endymion was no longer in the line of fire the Inners opened up on Mori with their own attacks.  
  
"Mars Flame Sniper!"  
  
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"  
  
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"  
  
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"  
  
"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"  
  
Multi-coloured streamers of energy converged on Mori as the girls completed their attacks. Green leaflets and blue bands were shrugged off with seeming total indifference. A red arrow of fire failed to even draw a sarcastic smile, the ridiculous looking giant pink heart, and the swarm of smaller heart-shaped bolts of concussive force were another matter. The giant pink heart of Sailor Moon's attack struck Mori dead centre in the chest, almost knocking him off the far side of the building with its force of impact. The heart-shaped bolts of power Sailor Venus had fired finished the job of knocking him off the building as they caught the surprised Mori in the face.  
  
As soon as he fell Sailor Moon returned her attention to Endymion, he was hurt badly. The side of his face where Mori had struck was crumpled, his cheek bone smashed and his jaw obviously fractured. Sailor Moon silently wept as she cradled his head in her arms. she was unsure if his neck had been broken when he was hit, but until Mercury had a chance to scan him she would not risk moving him. The other girls moved past her, their faces set in steely determination as the searched for the fallen enemy. There was little doubt that he was still alive, not even Usagi was foolish enough to believe they had destroyed someone that easily, that had survived a Silence Glaive Surprise virtually uninjured.  
  
Rei was livid. This Mori had injured Mamoru, sure she had lost his love long ago, but she still cared more for him than she really should. Her princess was in emotional anguish right now, and in her opinion that was an even worse crime than hurting her prince. She could sense him around here somewhere, he hadn't teleported away, and he was most assuredly still alive. She didn't like the way her Flame Sniper had no effect, a ward clutched in her hand showed she wasn't out of options. She was betting this guy was some kind of demon or something, let's see him hurt her friends when she bound him with her spiritual powers, she thought.  
  
Well, Mori thought, that was unexpected. Mori hadn't been prepared to encounter any Senshi on his shopping trip. Though it would have been child's play for him to grow or simply create his own food, he had considered it unnecessary in a society that made purchasing it as easy as Japan did. Besides, magic could be traced by anyone looking hard enough for it, and given the almost total lack of background magical activity, his power even for something as small as the creation of a bunch of cherries would announce his location like a signal flare. Most of the Senshi were completely incapable of hurting him, from what they had demonstrated anyway, but the little blondes packed a surprising punch. His head was still a bit fuzzy from impact of those little hearts, but he was fairly certain he could sense one of the little girls very close to him. It was time for a bit of payback.  
  
Rei dashed around the corner prepared to activate and throw her ward in an instant, she was sure he was just up ahead. A golden glow blazed to life from a side alley directly adjacent to the building Mordaki had been knocked from. Sailor Mars took no chances with this demon. She quickly turned into the alley spotted her foe and began her chant. "Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen. Akuryou taisan!" The ward flew across the three meters to her target and magically adhered to his forehead.  
  
Mori was perplexed. She didn't just do what I think she did, did she?, he wondered to himself. For the briefest of instants he had felt the spiritual power of the little fire sorceress's ward attempt to contain his powers, it was like trying to hold back the sun with a Kleenex. Less than a second after the ward struck him it burst into flame it's badly overtaxed binding spell not even having had the chance to slow his movement. With the first glimmerings of respect for the courage this little sorceress showed in trying to take him on one on one he quickly changed his mind about hurting her.  
  
"Kalrah," he commanded quietly a small tendril of his power reaching out to put her into a peaceful sleep. Mori caught her as she slumped to the ground, another quick spell made certain that no one would disturb her for the half hour she would doze. Another of the little sorceresses had almost reached his position, with his head now clear he could tell by her aura that it was the nature sorceress, she was no threat at all.  
  
Makoto had seen the lack of effect her magic had on this Mori guy. She was anything but stupid, and given that the Outers had really had no better effect magically she was ready to try something a little more hands on. Only Haruka was a better hand to hand fighter than she was, and from what she remembered Hotaru saying last week, nobody had ever gotten the chance to see if this guy had a glass jaw or not. It was time they found out. Makoto heard Rei's chant from up ahead. Nice of him to make his presence so obvious with the glow, she thought. She hurried toward the glowing alley intent on joining up with Rei and taking the guy down before he did any more damage to her friends or the world. When she turned the corner and saw him standing over a downed Rei she lost any half formed ideas about trying to take him alive.  
  
Makoto moved in as fast as she could in her super powered Senshi form. She threw a kick at him that was nearly impossible to see it moved so quickly. The kick caught him in the chest and with a grunt of expelled air he flew back several metres from the force of impact. She moved forward to press the advantage she had, and struck out at him with an ultra fast strike directly aimed for his neck. Makoto was totally unprepared for the punch to be grabbed and use to throw her into the unyielding wall of the alley. As she rose to her hands and knees struggling to get to her feet before he enemy could attack her again, a kick to her ribs lifted her and slammed her once again into the wall. Makoto coughed and felt a wetness in her throat, more than likely the kick had broken several of her ribs. This guy was stronger than even her Senshi form, that was bad news. She rolled to her back, ignoring the pain in her chest and did a quick kipup rising to her feet just in time to avoid having her head smashed by her opponent's foot. This guy is playing for keeps, she thought. She sent a crescent kick at him, causing him to step back to avoid he attack, and desperately hoped Mercury or Venus would get there soon. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt she couldn't take this guy alone.  
  
Venus could hear the sounds of combat from just up ahead, she knew that if her friends were to survive she had to hurry. Venus leapt to the top of the building to gain a better vantage point for her magical attacks. Venus was the leader of the Inner Senshi, she had earned that distinction long ago, and her ability to understand the strengths of both her allies and her enemies made her an excellent tactician. Venus was no fool, she had seen the kind of damage this Mordaki guy had done to Endymion with one hit, she had no desire to get in closer with him than she had to. Two quick strides from where she landed and Venus was able to look down into the alley where Jupiter and their enemy fighting. Venus shook her head, Jupiter had always been hot headed but this was insane, she had to know this guy was toying with her. He was obviously more than strong enough to have snapped her back with that last kick, the fact that Jupiter was still able to stand meant that he was toying with them. Jupiter still needed her help though, even if he wasn't trying to kill her right now this man was still the enemy.  
  
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!," she called out and once again the deadly rain of hearts struck her opponent, this time their force carried him face first into the alley wall.  
  
Jupiter wasted no time, when Venus's attack struck her enemy she immediately struck out at his unprotected back, hoping to break something vital. Her fist landed hard on his backbone, with the intent to end the threat once and for all, his whole body seemed to shudder as the impact compressed him between her fantastically strong punch and the merciless unmoving wall. It was at that time when Sailor Mercury entered the alley. He visor quickly identified the position of all the combatants, and told her of their condition and current energy readings. She tried to call out in warning to Jupiter as she saw his energy level rise dramatically, but it was too late.  
  
A staccato cracking sound echoed through the alley as the man spun away causing Sailor Jupiter's kick to strike the wall he had so recently been imbedded in. Faster than the eye could see his hand reached out and grabbed Jupiter by the throat. Anger burned in his eyes as he shook her. Mercury knew there was nothing she could do about Jupiter's current predicament, Their opponent was simply too strong, too fast and her magic was ineffective against him. Venus on the other had pinpoint accurate magic that seemed to hurt him.  
  
"Venus, hit him before he kills her!," Mercury called out desperately as she scanned the man in front of her with everything she could. She knew that if her and her companions survived this confrontation they would need all the information they could get before they faced him again. Venus called out her attack and another series of hearts struck their opponent, this time in the arm. Amazingly enough he didn't drop Jupiter, whose thrashing and kicking seemed to be of no consequence to her captor. Jupiter has taken on a purple cast to her complexion and Mercury knew it wouldn't be long before she either passed out or died from asphyxiation. Hope came from an unexpected quarter.  
  
"Dead Scream." A voice quietly intoned from directly behind Mercury.  
  
The green ball of temporal energy knocked Mori from his feet and caused him to drop the unconscious Jupiter. Mori seemed taken aback by the appearance of the Time Senshi, his eyes widened considerably at the sight of her Garnet Rod. With a brief look of concentration he seemed to come to a decision.  
  
"Maluu Dallek, Maluu Enkil, Maluu Dahak, Maluu Rhendar, Maluu Chuthulu, Sekar!" he chanted. Five Arcs of light appeared around him, one gold, one silver, one black, one red and one green. As he completed his invocation the arcs began to spin rapidly forming a sphere of multicoloured light that was impossible to see through. Again from within the sphere his voice could be heard, and air around the scene of battle began to hum in resonation of whatever magic he was using. "Si dinga Ana kanpa, Si dinga Kia kanpa, Si dinga Desu kanpa, Si dinga Mira kanpa. Itsau carasa mal!" Whatever language he spoke even Sailor Pluto had a bewildered expression on her face. The effects of his chant were obvious to see though. The ground immediately in front of the Sailor Senshi tore itself apart as a massive vaguely man shaped mass of earth and stone rose from it.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama," Pluto swore softly. "He has summoned an elemental"  
  
The Mercury computer was beeping like mad trying to bring Sailor Mercury's attention to all the relevant information it had about the nature of this latest threat, but it was in vain. She had seen monster plants, Ice Sorceresses out to freeze the world, youma, cardians, damien, droids, and evil entities of all shapes and sizes, but nothing she had ever seen had prepared her for the sheer horrifying presence of a ten metre tall mobile aggressive man shaped rock. Venus and Pluto immediately fired their attacks at it, the dust and chunks of stone torn from it a testament to their effectiveness, but it hardly seemed important, what could they really hope to accomplish by blowing fist sized chunks of stone off a monster like that. What they really needed were the rest of the outer Senshi, Uranus's world shaking attack seemed to her to be about their only hope against this thing.  
  
Venus looked down at the monster, it was slow enough moving that Pluto had yet to be struck, but she didn't really want to imagine what would happen if she were. Venus was betting that should Pluto get hit by that monster, they would be having auditions for a new Sailor Pluto starting tomorrow. At least they seemed to have driven Mori to hide in the sphere he had created. She didn't know how bad he was hurt, but this was a definite improvement over how the Outers did. Now if his sphere was anything like the silence wall, they were safe, he couldn't do anything to them while trapped inside. When Venus suddenly found herself inside the sphere with him she was too surprised to react as he touched her forehead and spoke.  
  
"You and your kind have attacked me without warning or provocation twice now," he spoke his touch and voice somehow paralyzing her. "You have dared to cause me harm, to threaten me and to hamper my quest for the reparation of this world, for that , how do you girls say that, oh yes, 'I will punish you.'" With that he began murmuring in a voice to low for her to hear the words, though the musical sound of the language flowed over her, making her feel lethargic. "Sailor Venus," he spoke "I bind you now against the thought of bringing me harm, your own body will betray you should you seek to test my restriction, be warned." With that Venus found herself again on the top of the building, as if she had never left.  
  
Pluto was not doing well, her Dead Screams couldn't harm the creature enough to make any real impression, and though it was wounded by her attack, every now and again the creature would reabsorb some of the material that had been chipped away. Venus began her attack hoping to once again damage the creature enough for Pluto to move out its line of fire, when she heard Uranus call out her attack. The yellow ball of energy burrowed through the ground bursting up into the creature doing massive damage.  
  
Pluto had never been happier to see Uranus in all her life. Without her earth based magic there was very little anyone other than Sailor Saturn could do against a monster like this. Elementals were nearly indestructible, they healed very fast, and the number of people that could survive even a single blow from their stone fists could be counted on one hand, and would probably have fingers left over. She still didn't know who this enemy was, but if he could summon and control one of these, he was even more of a threat than she had believed. Another World Shaking slammed into the creature, reducing its total body mass to less than half of what it had started with, her Dead Screams were barely making sure the damage Uranus did went completely unhealed. Mercury gave her a look of determination and quickly left the combat scene. Pluto hoped she was going to see what was keeping the Princess, her attack would be a nice addition to chipping this monster down to size. Pluto's moment of inattention as she dwelt on the reasoning behind her princess's tardiness cost her severely. Though the elemental was down to less than half size and strength, it was still more than strong enough to crush most of the bones in her body as it struck her full on.  
  
Pluto was down, Jupiter and Mars were down, there was no one in the way finally. Hotaru stepped out from behind the corner of the building where she had been awaiting a clear shot on the monster that was assaulting her friends, once she was in position she drew her Glaive back and struck the monster with the only attack she possessed that wouldn't end all life on earth. As the wave of entropy struck the elemental it simply ceased to be. The attack continued on for forty or fifty more metres, doing massive collateral damage to the buildings in the path of the destruction.  
  
In the distance the gathered Senshi could hear the voice of their princess call out her Moon Healing Activation, Endymion's voice joined hers and it became obvious to the Outers just who was in need of medical attention. Shortly thereafter Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury helped a disoriented Endymion to the rest of them. Sailor Moon cried out as she saw her wounded Senshi, Hotaru had already seen to the lightly injured Jupiter, who was already beginning to stir, but as of yet on one had been able to rouse Sailor Mars. Sailor Moon rushed over to the critically wounded Sailor Pluto, tears in her eyes as she examined the way Pluto's body seemed to sag as it lay there, the obviously broken bones a reminder of the power of their foe. Sailor Moon once again gathered the power of the Sliver Crystal and poured its healing energy into the dying Senshi. Pluto gasped weakly in pain, but it seemed that her body was simply too wounded for something as small as the Moon Healing Activation.  
  
Usagi was in tears, she honestly didn't know how she brought people back to life with the crystal, and without that knowledge it seemed that Sailor Pluto would soon die from her wounds. She was sure that if she only had better control of the crystal she could heal her friend before it was too late. As she cradled her Oldest Senshi she didn't take notice of the cat that approached her. She had a black cat of her own and though this cat was considerably larger, in her teary eyed state she mistook it for Luna. The cat walked up and casually rubbed its tail across the fading Senshi. Pluto gasped as incomprehensible amounts of silver energy poured through her, restoring her body to full health and bringing her soul from the edge of death. She looked around expecting to see her Princess in her Princess form, holding the silver crystal, instead she saw Sailor Moon, and an enormous black cat, that winked at her and disappeared, all save its smile. A horrified expression overcame her as she realised what that meant, the smile faded from sight a second later.  
  
The battle weary Senshi gathered around the multicoloured sphere wondering what they could possibly do to get at the enemy within. It had taken the full brunt of a silence Glaive Surprise and was still there, the restored Pluto fired a Dead Scream at it to no avail. It seemed that no power they had could crack the prismatic field still enclosing their enemy.  
  
"Sailor Senshi," the voice of Mori called out from seemingly all around them. "Congratulations on your quick defeat of my little elemental, your abilities are surprisingly formidable, but it seems that you have learned little from the mercy I have so far shown you. I have arranged a bit of a demonstration for your benefit, it will grant you an inkling of the power that you pit yourselves against. Know this, I mean you no harm but if you continue to interfere with me I will stop holding back, this is your final warning. In eight minutes you will see my demonstration, and you will understand its timing. Until we meet again, Leisu."  
  
Rei soon awoke to the relief of the other Senshi, they had yet to move further than the rooftop they had originally blasted Mori from, they wanted to be nearby in case his 'demonstration' was something they needed to be there for. As the time ticked down to thirty seconds the Mercury computer began to beep. Something was going on and its scanners begged its master for more information. Quickly putting on her visor Mercury was more stunned than anyone when the sun simply went out. There was no solar radiation, no solar wind, no light, nothing. According to her sensors, something had stopped the sun from its process of hydrogen fusion. For fifteen long seconds there was total darkness, then the light returned. The sun was back.  
  
As the now detransformed scouts made their way silently to the Hikawa Jinja one question played on everyone's mind. What in the name of the moon has the power to turn off the sun, and how can you fight something like that?  
  
End Chapter One 


	2. Setteling In

It was a highly sombre group of people that had gathered at the Hikawa Jinja. The all knew what was weighing so heavily on their minds, but as of yet no one had broached the subject that drew them all together. A tacit wordless agreement held them silent, waiting for the cats that would be arriving soon. Makoto massaged her throat, though Hotaru had used her rather limited healing ability to repair the damage, Makoto could still feel Mori's hand wrapped around it. Makoto looked on the group with concern, they hadn't taken a beating this bad since they first fought the Death Busters, Galaxia's attacks though more effective held little of the psychological impact of this new enemy. It was only a few minutes of group dread later that the cats arrived.  
  
Luna and Artemis leapt through the open window into Rei's bedroom anxious to begin the Senshi meeting. The discouraged expressions on the faces of most of their charges only reinforced their need to know all of what had happened. Taking the lead on the meeting Luna began the interrogation.  
  
"What happened," she asked. It wasn't much of a question but it opened the floodgates. Everyone started their explanations at different points of the story, all at once. The overlapping voices made any intelligent comprehension of the events impossible. "One at a time!" the cat shrieked in frustration. With a nod from her princess Luna started again, this time specifying to who she asked her questions. "Ami, you start. What happened?" Ami gave a brief timeline of what happened leaving much of the detail out for expediency sake. "Well," said Luna, "that was brief yet concise, very good Ami. Mamoru you seem to have had first contact with him, what can you tell us."  
  
"My rose was able to hurt him," Mamoru stated thoughtfully, "and he hits like getting hit by a car only less nice." There was a noticeable shudder as Mamoru recalled Mori's backhand. "Oh he told us his name, if that's any help.  
  
"Really," replied an immediately interested Luna, "do tell"  
  
"He called himself Mordaki, and then some titles, sorry but my memory is a bit unclear after that," Mamoru quipped.  
  
"Primarch of Form and Nature, Second born of the Ulterran," Usagi supplied. "He sounded like he thought we should know who he was."  
  
"Primarch?, Ulterran?, those words sound vaguely familiar. Artemis, we must look all this up at central when the meeting ends," Luna replied thoughtfully. "Rei, Makoto you were next to encounter him, what happened."  
  
Rei looked somewhat embarrassed as she began to speak. "Well, I noticed that my Flame Sniper hadn't done him any harm, so I tried to use a ward on him."  
  
"Oh very good Rei," Luna replied happily. "Excellent thinking like that has always made you an asset."  
  
"It didn't work," the Miko added flatly. "Not only didn't it work, he laughed at me and put me to sleep with a spell." Rei was nearly in tears of humiliation, she had spent long years training to be a Miko, and all her mental defences had meant nothing. It hadn't even appeared to strain him to overcome her will and put her to sleep.  
  
"I showed up right as he got finished with Rei," Makoto took over. "I went hand to hand with him for the same reasons that Rei tried a ward. He can be hit, he can be stunned, but I don't think I ever hurt him. Oh and I'd like to second Mamoru on how strong this guy is. Hotaru's healing is the only reason I'm not drowning in my own blood."  
  
"Usagi and I were able to hurt him with our attacks," Mina supplied next. "It seems kinetic based magic can hurt him, but not by much. He was kinda cut up when he pulled me into his shield, and."  
  
"Wait," Luna asked, "when did that happen?"  
  
"Umm, Right after he summoned the Elemental," Mina responded.  
  
"I don't remember that," Ami commented as she began replaying the fight from the recorded information on her computer.  
  
"Nor do I," replied Setsuna, staring at Minako.  
  
"Well it was right before Haruka showed up, and anyway he has a bunch of little cuts on him from my Love and Beauty Shock, and a big bruise on his chest from Usagi," she added grinning at her princess.  
  
"Back to you being pulled into the shield, what happened," Luna asked again.  
  
"I. I don't remember," Mina whispered a tremor of fear in her voice.  
  
Ami changed back into Sailor Mercury and began to scan Mina for any changes. The Senshi had run into possession and brainwashing a few times too many for them to trust it when enemies started giving them 'missing time'. Her scan quickly completed, she shook her head negatively, as far as she could tell Mina was ok.  
  
Once Mina had been cleared and Ami had returned to normal Setsuna began her portion of the tale "Mordaki.," She spoke as if testing the name, "was in the process of strangling Makoto to death when I blindsided him with a Dead Scream. He dropped her and began a chant in a language that sounded vaguely familiar to me, though I can not recall ever hearing it before. He said some things that sounded like names. His chant repeated the word Maluu, and said in order Dallak, Enkil, Dahak, Rhendar, Chuthulu." Setsuna commented.  
  
Her voice took on a lecturing tone as she continued. "Interestingly enough Enkil is a Sumerian earth deity, also somewhat connected to the underworld. His symbol was a serpent, and like many gods of old supposedly underwent a dismemberment and was put back together by his lover. His myth reads much like the Osiris legend. Dahak is the name of a Sumerian dark god of the underworld, he was the Sumerian equivalent of the Chinese deity Ma Yuan. His symbol was the dragon. Even the other gods feared him. Chuthulu is also Sumerian, he was the lord of corruption and decay, his was always a small sect of the Sumerian population, his worship was more to avoid his wrath than to gain his favour. Yet again he was often seen as a god of the underworld. That given the rest of his fellows forms a pattern. Three Sumerian gods of the underworld in one chant of five names, that narrows the probable search field on learning the meaning behind the other two." Pluto looked around at the astounded faces of her fellow Senshi and smiled, a real honest smile, much to the shock of everyone. "Just because I currently have no access to the Time Gates do not mean I have forgotten what I already personally know."  
  
Her attention once again returned to her recitation of the battle. "Once his chant was completed a barrier of incredible power surrounded him. He then summoned a truly impressive Earth Elemental. It was approximately ten meters tall and denser than most. My attacks had predictably little effect on it, Haruka and Hotaru easily dispatched it after I was wounded." Her report finished Setsuna took a sip from a cup of coffee no one remembered her ever fixing.  
  
"I showed up and saw a monster made of rock trying to kill Setsuna," Haruka began, "It seemed to be hurt badly by my World Shaking. Two of them just about cut it in half before it got Setsuna. Then Hotaru took it out with the Silence Glaive."  
  
"." was all Hotaru added, though her attack had been the one to defeat the monster she had little or nothing to add to the conversation about their enemy.  
  
"Ami and I rushed back after healing poor Mamo-chan from what that nasty Mordaki did to him and saw Setsuna hurt bad, I tried to heal her with the crystal, I really did," she said tears once again springing from her eyes, "but she was hurt too bad for the Moon Healing. I don't know why she got better but I'm really happy she did."  
  
"The cat did it," Setsuna stated blithely. "There was a large black cat present when you were trying to heal me, it was responsible for my improvement."  
  
"What do you mean by that Pluto," Artemis interrupted for the first time.  
  
"I mean, that a large, ocelot sized, domestic cat appearing creature somehow healed me. Using a power so similar to that of the Silver Imperium Crystal that I expected to see the Princess when I awoke."  
  
Silence filled the room at Setsuna's announcement. This was the second time the enemy or its cohorts had done something that reminded them of one of their crystals. Mordaki's power was nearly identical to the Golden Crystal that Elios guarded, and now the cat seemed to have a power like the Princess's. Things were getting more and more unnerving the more they learned of this mysterious enemy.  
  
The Senshi rehashed their battles with the Mordaki again, seeking to draw every scrap of information they could from it. Hours passed and dinnertime approached, Usagi, and Mina checked in with their parents to let them know that their 'study session' was going on later than usual from the extra homework accumulated by the week off school. As Makoto, Rei and Michiru prepared dinner for the Senshi, Ami's computer again gave a beep, signalling that its analysis of the information gathered in the battle was complete. Ami quickly scanned the data, and confirmed what they had already feared to be true.  
  
"Minna, we have a serious problem. It seems that almost none of us can harm Mordaki. He appears to be totally immune to elemental and plant based magic. Physical attacks could hurt him, as long as they were magically based," Ami completed dejectedly. "What I mean is this, Though Makoto could stun him for a second with her kicks, they really didn't hurt him. Only non-elemental based magic can do that. Usagi, Minako, Hotaru, Setsuna and Mamoru are the only Senshi that can affect him." For once it appeared that Mamoru made no objection to being called a Senshi. "Michiru might, and I stress might, be able to hurt him by reflecting something back with the Mirror, but I'm not sure that she would survive reflecting that kind of magical power back. I'm also unsure whether or not magical weapons can hurt him, but I doubt that anyone other than Haruka would survive testing that possibility, no offence intended to anyone else. "  
  
Luna and Artemis left as soon as dinner was completed heading back to central to continue their research. The cats had never before so missed the know-it-all looks and non-responses of the enigmatic Setsuna, whether or not the enemy had intended it, blocking Pluto's access to the Time Gates, seriously undermined their information gathering ability.  
  
In order to be honest to their parents the girls did take an hour to study and complete their homework before heading home. Setsuna may have been impossible to pry foreknowledge of the future from, but having live for ten thousand years at the time gates, she made an excellent history and sociology tutor.  
  
The next day at school began far less happily than yesterday. Usagi and Minako both were late, not even the efforts of their cats had been enough to overcome the exhaustion the felt from their battle with Mori. Mina had found trouble sleeping, nightmares had kept her awake most of the night. Without the cheeriness provided by the usually happy girls, their friends also found overcoming the depression from yesterday's defeat. Their mood seemed to affect others as well. Toujin seemed to be in a surly mood all day, and even Konjou didn't seem quite as playful.  
  
Rei's temper had been on a slow boil even since she had awoken from her magically induced nap the afternoon before. She didn't take well to humiliation, and failure on top of it was enough to have her looking for an excuse to vent. She found it in Toujin.  
  
Toujin had been having a bad day, no It hadn't been as bad as yesterday, but considering the day wasn't quite half over there was still ample time for it to degenerate that far. He was obviously in a pessimistic mood as well. His premonition about his day getting worse was proved right however. It started so simple when the school broke for lunch the hallways were full of students rushing to their favourite places to enjoy their meal. As he waited in line at a water fountain the crush of students caused someone to bump into him knocking his books from his hands. As he bent to retrieve them, again someone in the crowd collided with him, this had the unfortunate side effect of sending him to the floor. Yet Murphy's Law had still not finished with him, as he looked up from where he lay Toujin noticed a very nice pair of legs, one on each side of his head.  
  
Toujin was male, and breathing, his natural reaction to finding himself underneath and between a very nice pair of female legs was to follow them to their conclusion. Needless to say his sight was rewarded.  
  
With a scream of feminine outrage Rei lashed out with her foot at the Hentai looking up her skirt. Her foot missed as he quickly rolled to his feet, a look of anger on his face.  
  
"What in the hell did you do that for?" he yelled dodging her next attempt to hit him, this time with her bag.  
  
"You were looking up my skirt hentai," she screamed at him as she continued her furious attempts to brain him.  
  
"There wasn't much to see!" he yelled tauntingly as he danced out of reach of her swings. "I mean come on, I'd have expected a girl like you to wear something a little sexier than Minki-Momo underwear, what are you twelve?" He looked at her chest leeringly as he just managed to keep out of the way of her attacks. A space had cleared around the combatants amused looks passed between the boys as they imagined the aloof Rei wearing something so. Juvenile. As Toujin tore his gaze away from Rei's chest his face drew into an obviously false look of contemplation. "Nahh, I take that back, you chest is small but not that small. You must just have a manga fetish." Needless to say that was about the worst thing he could have possibly said. With a scream of rage Rei charged directly at him. Toujin took off running for the doors to the courtyard not more than a step ahead of her, smiling the entire time.  
  
Mina sat down under their usual tree with her friends and Konjou. She wondered where Rei, and somewhat more importantly to her dating prospects, Toujin were. She watched the door anxiously for his arrival not wanting to start he lunch without him. It was quite surprising to her to see him sprint out the door laughing of all things, he had been quite sombre looking all day. A half step behind him a furious Rei ran swinging her bag at him screaming. It was so reminiscent of her actions towards Yuuchiro that Mina became immediately jealous. The two combatants were heading their way however and Mina had a plan to stop this little display. Just as Toujin began to pass her position she dived out from behind the tree intent on knocking him to the ground. The fun would be that it would serve two purposes, first it would stop Rei from chasing Mina's new crush, and second it would allow her to continue the game Toujin had started yesterday. Sure getting tackled would probably hurt him a little at the speed he was going, but all that would mean is she would have the chance to help make him feel better afterwards. As she came to the decision to act upon the thought, Mina collapsed to the ground in indescribable agony.  
  
Toujin was having a blast now, his earlier anger at yesterdays problems had completely faded from his mind. Sure Rei wanted to pound him into something that resembled a wet prune, but as long as she didn't catch him until she was worn out he would be fine. Smiling he increased the pace a little more and began to pull just slightly away from her in their race. Mina's scream of pain brought him to an instant halt as he tried to find her. Rei crashed into him a half second later and they went down in a pile of arms and legs.  
  
Usagi was at Mina's side instantly upon her scream and collapse, she didn't know what was wrong with her friend but whatever it was obviously needed help badly. Mina was retching and crying in agony, her entire body felt as if it were being pulled apart, her back bowed and arms and legs spasmed in her convulsions. Konjou knelt next to Ami who had arrived almost as quickly as Usagi and attempted to make sure Mina didn't injure herself in her seizures.  
  
Toujin pulled himself out of the compromising position he found himself in with Rei, he didn't have time to appreciate just where his head had ended up after the collision. After he stood and absently helped Rei to her feet he ran to Mina and attempted to discern just what was wrong. Toujin took one look at the twitching and crying blonde and paled, there were few things that could cause an attack like this, and all of them were bad.  
  
"Does she have her medicine on her?" Toujin asked as he and Konjou forcibly held her in place to prevent her from further injuring herself.  
  
"She's not epileptic," Ami stated firmly. She desperately needed to scan her with the Mercury Computer to determine what was wrong with her, but with the boys here she couldn't do so without compromising their identities.  
  
An inscrutable look passed between the boys as Ami wallowed in the anguish of being unable to assist one of her greatest friends. Toujin let go of her leg with his arm, as Konjou took over the monumental effort of holding both of them down. With his then free hand Toujin began to gently caress her forehead and whisper to her in a voice easily drowned out by Mina's pained wails. After a few moments Mina's thrashing subsided, and her crying took on a less urgent tone. Mina desperately drug Toujin into a hug and began to soak his shirt with tears. Usagi rubbed Mina's back and spoke words of comforting as Toujin enfolded Mina in his arms. Makoto watched Toujin with a mixture of caution and deep respect for the compassion he showed her friend, whom he had known for just over a day.  
  
Rei on the other hand was not impressed. Though she knew in her heart that he was innocent of what had started the chase the had shared, and she was sure he didn't mean the taunts he'd thrown at her, he'd even been smiling during the time she was trying to kill him, she just couldn't let go of her anger. "Put her down you pervert, she doesn't need you pawing her while she can't defend herself. Even as she said it she knew it was a mistake, but she just couldn't seem to stop the words from coming out. Mina turned a tear filled gaze on her, and the look she received made he feel less than an inch tall. Usagi glared at her, her eyes almost blazing in outrage at what Rei had said. Ami just looked shocked, mortified that Rei would say something like that when anyone could see how Mina clung to him for comfort. Makoto ignored her and began to take up where Usagi had left off rubbing Mina's back.  
  
It was Konjou that broke the tension with the obvious observation. "Um minna? We really should take Mina here to the Nurse's station. You just know they're gonna need to hear about this." With a nod of agreement the group stood and left for the building, Toujin still carrying Mina as he held her close, Usagi and Makoto stepping in to cut Rei off as she tried to walk behind the couple.  
  
When they arrived at the Nurse's station the woman on staff took one look at the tear stained face of Mina and immediately ushered Toujin over to the bed where she had him try to lay her down. Mina steadfastly refused to let go of him though and they ended up sitting on it with her head firmly pressed into his shoulder. The nurse tried to chase the girls out of the room so she could examine Mina, but ran into a brick wall in the unyielding determination of Usagi. Konjou was chased from the room despite his protests and Makoto held her hands over Toujin's eyes when the nurse had Mina life her shirt to check her lung sounds. Mina giggled at the comically pained protests he gave at missing the show, and everyone knew she was one the road to recovery. When the nurse finally excused them to head back to class, after finding nothing wrong, Toujin rejoined his friend and the girls detoured to the bathroom for a private talk.  
  
"Are you ok now Mina," Usagi asked as she gave her friend a hug.  
  
"I think so," Mina replied, "but I'm still a little sore."  
  
"Mina, I want to scan you with my computer. We don't know what caused this episode yet, and I suspect it was induced magically," Ami stated calmly.  
  
"Ok," Mina agreed as she sat on the long counter holding the sinks.  
  
Makoto and Rei took up positions guarding the door while Usagi worriedly shifted from foot to foot as Ami carefully scanned Mina for any residual traces of magic. Rei refused to meet Makoto's gaze while they made sure no one entered.  
  
"So, Rei," Makoto began neutrally, "you want to explain to us why you were trying to kill Toujin?"  
  
"And why you were so mean to him when he was being so sweet and helping poor Mina-chan?" Usagi interjected cuttingly.  
  
"It's hard to explain," Rei began. "I mean it was an accident at first, I know that now, but at the time I was just so mad that when he fell down and was looking up my skirt."  
  
"He was looking up your skirt!" Mina yelled indignantly.  
  
"Like I said it was an accident." Rei hurriedly reiterated. "Someone knocked him down or something in the line at the drinking fountain outside the classroom, and he just kind of fell in between my legs," she finished in embarrassment. "That would have been bad enough, but then we got into an argument and he said some pretty rude things. After that, things just got out of hand," she said somewhat defensively.  
  
"Well," Mina began, "I think you both need to apologise to each other. You know the old saying, 'Never go to bed with him angry'," she finished.  
  
Ami froze as the unintentional sexual connotations of Mina's statement rolled over her. Usagi began to giggle, Makoto seemed quite interested in her toes and Rei looked to be having an apoplexy.  
  
"Come on Rei," Mina pleaded. "You know you want to. Trust me he's not that bad, and I can guarantee you'll feel better afterward, I know I always do. It just seems to clear the air and make all that tension go away," she finished sweetly.  
  
The girls were staring at Mina as if she had grown another head, and Rei was even more red than before sputtering in her inability to form coherent words. Finally Rei managed to get her point across "Hentai!" she screamed at Mina trying desperately to clear her mind of the visions Mina's statement had provoked.  
  
"Anno, what's hentai about apologizing," Mina asked confused. Makoto, Usagi and even Ami fell to the floor laughing hysterically at the misunderstanding Mina's words had caused. Rei unable to take it anymore left the bathroom to guard the door from the outside. Ami pulled herself from the floor ignoring Mina's questions on what was so funny and concluded her scan as quickly as possible. Her computer would take a while to correlate the data but there did seem to be some traces of magic around Mina that couldn't be accounted for by her being a Senshi. Preliminary analysis suggested the magic was very similar to Endymion's.  
  
The rest of the school day passed quickly, though Usagi complained bitterly about being unable to finish her lunch. Ami was anxious to see what her computer could tell her about the unknown magical traces within Mina. The Inners had agreed to go to the Jinja this afternoon. She was lucky that she had decided to forgo Juku this year. With the increased intensity of the attacks they had during the Galaxia crisis there would have been no real opportunity for her to have gained anything from it. The regular study sessions that she and the other girls had at the Jinja made her feel better though.  
  
Usagi rushed out of the classroom as soon as school ended, somehow, Konjou had managed to talk the Sensei into not giving her and Mina detention for their tardiness. She waved bye to the boys as she gathered her pack and began to devour the rest of her lunch as she waited for the other girls to catch up with her. Makoto came out only a few moments later, her eyes straying back to Konjou as he smirked at Toujin's predicament. Ami stood just inside the door her eyes carefully taking stock of what was transpiring between Rei, Mina and Toujin.  
  
Rei had been dreading this part of her day ever since lunch. She knew that she and Toujin owed each other an apology, and that Mina would make her life hell until one was given, but it went against her nature to do something like this, especially in public. When most of the rest of the class had already left, eager to get away from the school and on with their day, Rei made her way over to Toujin. "Toujin, we need to talk," she said in a small voice  
  
"Hai, Rei," he said. "I need to apologize to you for earlier," he told her with an ashamed look on his face.  
  
"No, no, its all my fault really, I knew you didn't do it on purpose, but I was already in a bad mood and like a baka I took it out on you," she said "Forgive me."  
  
"It's really my fault, I could have just apologized then instead of insulting you in front of all those people. Can you forgive my childishness," he added with a smile  
  
"Sure," she agreed she was only mildly surprised when he took her hand and shook it.  
  
"Friends?" he asked.  
  
"Friends," she agreed.  
  
"Oh this is so wonderful!" Mina chirped as she pulled the two into a group hug. "My new boyfriend and one of my closest friends are getting along!"  
  
Toujin seemed to flinch slightly as Mina called him her boyfriend, then an evil glint came into his eyes. He leaned into the group hug getting his mouth next to Rei's ear and whispered to her in a voice low enough that Mina was unable to hear. "Besides, we both know that Minki- Momo only wishes it could be on that sexy red silk you're almost wearing." Rei's scream of hentai echoed through the school.  
  
"I don't see what you're mad about Rei," Mina said sulkily "He complimented your panties, but that's my boyfriend you're trying to steal."  
  
"Trust me Mina, I'm not trying to steal him, I don't want anything to do with him. I'd rather go on a date with Mordaki than that Hentai Toujin." Rei snarled as the girls made their way through the city  
  
"Rei, don't insult my Toujin like that, Mordaki is an evil, destructive, murderous creepaziod." Mina protested.  
  
"True, but at least he isn't a Hentai." Rei snapped back .  
  
"Girls although it's funny, this argument isn't going anywhere," Makoto said. "Why don't you to just agree to disagree about Toujin, so Rei can get back to drooling about Yuuchiro, and Mina and I can go on a double date with the cutest nicest boys in the world."  
  
"Sure that's a great idea," Mina agreed instantly.  
  
"Ok, fine whatever," Rei said peevishly. "But about Yuuchiro, Makoto. I'd rather swallow a roach."  
  
Conversation turned lighter as the group approached the Jinja. Usagi complained that she was still hungry, and Mina and Makoto discussed the possibilities of getting the boys to ask them out on a double date. Makoto was for the strategy of simply asking them themselves, while Mina favoured convincing the boys to ask them. The only problem with Mina's idea is that it would probably take longer, and neither girl was very patient when it came to romance. The girls were at the bottom of the steps to the Jinja when Rei suddenly stopped.  
  
"Girls I can sense a powerful presence nearby," Rei said quickly.  
  
The Mercury computer began to beep furiously, and the air became thick with magic. Usagi nodded to her friends and ran up the steps to see what was going on. At the top of the steps, after making sure no one could see them the girls quickly and quietly assumed their Senshi forms. Ami called the Outers with news of the disturbance and quickly joined the rest of the Inners in determining the nature of the alarm.  
  
In the middle of the courtyard of the Jinja a strange man stood. His manner of dress was quite similar to Mordaki's. His shirt was a metallic blue, and a silver vest-cloak covered his torso, dark sapphire pants and silver boots adorned his feet. Also like Mordaki his hair was very long, worn loose it dangled well down his back, its ebon locks moving slightly in the breeze. A silver aura surrounded him giving his skin an unearthly cast. Blue streams of misty light flowed across the ground, causing Rei to gasp in wonder. A long staff, seemingly carved of a single multi-facetted piece of sapphire shined brightly in his grasp.  
  
"Be very careful," Rei said quietly as they moved stealthy towards the intruder. "Somehow he's made the ley lines in the area manifest. This Jinja was built on a conjunction of several smaller lines in the Juuban area. It looks like he's somehow tapping into them."  
  
"Very good little sorceress," the man said still staring at the blue rivers of light. "Don't worry, I'm not going to damage the line or this lovely little Temple. On the contrary, this wonderful place is just what I need to fix a little problem you foolish humans seem to have created."  
  
Usagi needed no further proof that this man was obviously working with Mordaki, and by hurting Endymion and Jupiter, Mordaki had guaranteed that he was in serious need of a beat down. It was perfectly obvious to her that Mordaki was responsible for all the strange stuff happening worldwide, and if this man was helping him there was only one thing to do. "Temples and other places of worship are made for people to remember their ancestors and to guide us in becoming closer to the Kami. We will not allow you to abuse them for you own evil ends. In the name of the moon, we will punish you!' Usagi screamed as she moved forward to attack.  
  
The rest of the assembled Senshi ran to join her in combat, though Ami looked at her as if she had lost her mind. Usagi called out her attack and was rewarded with him being knocked back hard by the impact. Usagi was happy to note her attack had been even more effective on this new enemy that on Mordaki. Ami took a chance and fired her Aqua Rhapsody at the same time Rei launched a Flame Sniper. The converging magical attacks caused him to cry out in pain as they alternately froze and seared his flesh.  
  
Makoto was ecstatic, this man wasn't immune to elemental attacks, sure she could already see evidence of him healing the wounds from Usagi's blast, but if he could be hurt enough she was sure they could keep him down. A very not nice smile adorned her face as she thought of the payback she was going to give this man for the way Mordaki had beaten her. She called out her Oak Evolution and fired the bladelike leaflets of energy at him. She didn't even have time to scream when they rebounded at her with more than twice their original power.  
  
Makoto's scream of shock and pain cut through the battlefield disrupting Mina's attempt to tag him with her Love and Beauty Shock. The attack sailed wide striking the outer wall of the fire wood storage room punching through and doing massive damage. Mina looked quickly at her downed friend and gaped at the horrific lacerations her own attack had visited on her. The armour provided by the magic of the Senshi uniform and transformation had done little to protect her from the rebounded power. Mina knew that Makoto needed medical attention quickly or she might die of blood loss.  
  
The decision of what to do was taken quickly from her as the unknown man brought the butt end of his staff down hard against the flagstones. A wave of irresistible force rolled over the Senshi knocking all of them save Makoto back off their feet. Rei and Ami, who still stood too near the stairs, were blown off the hilltop and down the steep incline the sound of their repeated impacts on the unyielding stone steps bringing tears to their princess's eyes. She hardened her heart against the sounds of her friend's pain as she rolled to her feat and fired her attack again, this time the swarm of small hearts connected bursting on contact with him and nearly bringing him to his knees. A massive thunderclap of sound crashed into her, its sheer volume making her head swim and her vision blur. Through her distorted sight she was able to see the ley lines curl around him, the pulsed briefly then faded to near invisibility. Holding his chest he hobbled over to Makoto, a moment later she screamed louder than ever, and then fell silent. Mina finally lost the battle for consciousness as he teleported out.  
  
Rei awoke in mild discomfort, she was quite surprised to have awoken at all, and even happier that her pain was only mild. Hotaru's cautious smile explained how the severity of her wounds had changed. She got up and hugged the smaller girl in thanks and immediately went to check on the others. It took next to no time to do so as they were all lying in her bedroom. Mina seemed to be perfectly fine, Usagi had a few scrapes but nothing more serious than she use to have after a klutz attack. Ami looked to be in better shape the she herself was in, but that probably had something to do with the fact that Ami had landed on her at the end of their long fall. Makoto on the other hand was missing. As Rei started to ask Hotaru where Makoto was, the door to the bedroom opened and Haruka, Michiru, and Makoto came in carrying a tray of tea and snacks. It wasn't long before the rest of the girls awoke.  
  
"He was the one who healed me," Makoto said a few minutes later as they discussed the battle. "I don't know why, other than he said something about not wanting pretty girls to have scars. Something else, he called himself Niccolai Bastian, Primarch of Will, Third born of the Ulterran. Makoto had little else to add to the conversation, but in truth the battle had been brief enough that the little they had learned seemed a near miracle.  
  
Ami began an analysis of his blood, there was certainly enough of it on the stones outside to make that an easy task. His blood contained the same kind of configuration as Mordaki's. The computer plotted a less than one tenth of a percent difference, but given the sheer size and number of chromosomes that was still a considerable amount. Oddly enough his magical traces were the most confusing. At first the computer maintained that the only magical activity had been the scouts and princess. After realizing what that meant it became obvious, his power signature was so similar to the Silver Imperium Crystal that the Mercury computer simply couldn't tell them apart. The implications of that information was frightening, they currently had two known enemies operating, with strong evidence of the existence of a third, these enemies were fantastically magically capable, and had power signatures nearly identical to the golden and silver crystals. It was an almost worst case scenario come true.  
  
An hour later the Mercury computer notified Ami that it had finally completed its analysis of the odd magical signature within Minako, the computer projected over a ninety nine percent chance that it was the residual traces of some kind of healing magic, very powerful healing magic. It also conjectured that Endymion was responsible. The Senshi knew only two people that the computer might theoretically mistake for Endymion with magical traces that faint, and no one present even made a joke about Elios coming for a visit. For some reason Mordaki had healed Mina.  
  
The last two weeks had passed quickly for the Senshi, ever since their defeat at the hands of Niccolai they had spent much of their free time training in the use of their powers, not that they expected them to be of much good should the encounter Mordaki. Makoto had also suggested that they all join a local dojo for a bit of kempo training. Setsuna agreed and set it up with an old friend of hers, so for two hours twice a week the Senshi visited a local dojo. All this time spent preparing for an enemy that had not shown their faces in two weeks began to wear on Mina's nerves. It wasn't that she resented the time spent training, it was simply she had so much less time to spend with Toujin. He was frustratingly difficult to pin down for a date. It seemed that he was always out when she called. Sure he always called back, and was unfailingly polite, but despite the warm looks and the sweet way he treated her at school, actually seeing him after the final bell was nearly impossible.  
  
She had heard from Makoto that her situation with Konjou was nearly identical, save for the lone exception that she had called and had actual gotten a real persons voice rather than a machine. Unfortunately for Makoto it was Toujin that answered. Toujin answered her probing questions at what he was doing answering Konjou's phone with a laugh. It seemed funny now that no one had realised that they were cousins, and lived in the same apartment. Despite repeated veiled questions and hints, neither of the boys had yet asked them over, or even mentioned yet where they lived.  
  
Today Mina vowed to change all that. She had a plan and it was all systems go. Today was the day he would formally ask her out. She gave herself a final check in the mirror of the girl's room and marched out to meet her destiny. Seeing him sitting quietly at his desk a look of boredom on his face she made her move. "Oh Toujin, it's terrible, just terrible," she wailed throwing herself into his arms.  
  
He quickly put his arms around her to keep her from falling as she layed bonelessly against his chest. "What's wrong Mina," he cooed softly trying to stifle her tears.  
  
Mina sniffled pitifully and withdrew a test paper from within her bag. Marked on the front side was a large circled forty percent. Mina pushed it into his hands and continued to sob. Toujin looked at the physics exam he held and shook his head, he just couldn't understand how a smart girl like Mina had done this poorly. "It ok Mina, its only one test, you'll do better next time," he said trying to comfort her.  
  
"But Toujin you don't understand," she said in a choked voice, "I'll be grounded forever and ever if I don't pass the next one, and I don't understand it at all!'  
  
"Ok," he said as he patted the top of her head gently. "Why don't you ask your friend Ami to help you, she has some of the highest marks in the entire class."  
  
"I've tried," Mina whispered in shame, her head ever closer to his so as not to need to talk any louder. "She's just so smart and good at it that she can't understand why I don't learn it as fast as she does. Please Toujin you have to help me, if I don't pass this class I wont ever get into a good college and without that I'll never get a good job and I'll end up out on the streets and starve to death!" she continued melodramatically.  
  
Toujin was in a quandary, he really didn't have time to help her, but his conscience wouldn't let him just wallow in despair like this. Taking a deep breath he agreed. "Ok, Mina-chan," he said bringing a blush to her face, "I'll help you. I can come over and help you a little tonight if you want."  
  
"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," Mina said as she hugged him ever tighter. Enacting the next phase of her plan she stood on her toes and kissed him full on the lips. "Thank you for helping me out like this!" she said once again as she pressed herself fully against his front, so tightly the bow on her fuku had to be bruising his breastbone. She waited for just a second, allowing the feel of her to addle him just a bit. When she was positive that he was somewhat distracted she made her next move. "Toujin, can we please study at your house, if my parents see us studying at mine they'll want to know why I need help and I'll have to show them my test and I'll just die.  
  
"Yeah, sure Mina, whatever you want," he replied distracted.  
  
"Ok," she said giving him a brilliant smile she nuzzled his neck. "You're the sweetest boy in the whole world Tou-chan There's only one little problem. You need to give me your address."  
  
"Umm, it's the penthouse of the Nobara apartment." He told her absently, his mind miles away.  
  
"Really?" she said trying to contain her excitement  
  
"Um hm," he mumbled completely unaware of what had just happened.  
  
"Great!" she exclaimed one again brushing his lips with hers. "I know!" she said, "You can just walk me there after school so I don't get lost trying to find the place."  
  
"Yea, sure Mina-chan." he said absently something warning him that he had made a mistake of some kind.  
  
"Perfect!" she said happily. "I'll talk to you more at lunch." And with that Mina rushed to her seat before the first hour Sensei arrived.  
  
Makoto leaned over to Mina as she sat down with a self satisfied smile. "I'll give that performance a nine point nine, you had him eating out of the palm of your hand."  
  
Mina gave Makoto a smile as the final warning bell for the beginning of class went off. Mina wasn't about to tell Makoto all of her secrets at getting him to invite her over. After all if Makoto hadn't figured out that boys can't concentrate as well when their brains are oxygen starved from lack of blood it wasn't Mina's fault  
  
"She played you bad you know that right Toujin?" Konjou said as Mina practically danced to her seat just before the bell.  
  
"." Toujin replied as he shot Konjou a glare that would have killed anyone else.  
  
The school day flew by for Toujin, it seemed that he blinked once and it was lunchtime. He looked on the upcoming study session with a mix of longing and dread. He wasn't a fool, Mina was probably one of the three most attractive girls in the school. Only her friends Rei and Usagi were even in the same league as her. The idea of spending time alone with her in his apartment appealed to him on several levels, which was precisely why he dreaded the idea. Toujin was many things, but totally heartless wasn't one of them. Mina had no idea what she was getting into involving herself in his life. He had powerful enemies, enemies that had already demonstrated their willingness to attack without warning or provocation. Worse, from what he had been able to learn about them, they had already killed several innocent bystanders in their desire to end other threats to their goals. Somehow he had to make Mina understand that he couldn't put her at risk by hanging around him, without giving away his secrets. His mind knew all of this quite well, buy convincing the rest of him was proving to be impossible.  
  
During lunch Toujin kept himself sane by indulging in one of his favourite pastimes, arguing philosophy with Rei. Their codes of ethics were quite similar, but had enough differences to make for some truly enjoyable battles. Rei was a master tactician in trapping someone in the holes in their own logic being raised as a Miko made her quite knowledgeable in several areas, from spiritualism, to occult lore to something as basic herbal remedies. The Hino family had preserved its beliefs and culture quite well in the modern era.  
  
Though Rei was undeniably beautiful, her obvious reluctance in any non pure friendship relationship was a godsend to Toujin, there was little fear of Rei trying to push her way into his private life and winding up in the line of fire of his foes. Mina was very conscious of where and with whom he spent his time, and though she would occasionally give other girls evil glares if he spent too much time with them, she never worried about him spending time with any of her friends. Mina spent the entire day that he saw working diligently in all her classes, he hoped that it was simply that she wanted to spend as little time after school studying at his house as possible. She seemed like the kind of girl that would spend her every waking minute with her friends. He hoped that once they were finished with tonight's tutoring session she would rush off to be with her friends. He wasn't making any bets however.  
  
It had taken Mina all day to come to the decision to share her good fortune. Her plan had been successful and she was going to reap the rewards, but every time she thought about it she became more and more convinced that she needed something to keep Konjou from interfering in her plans, she had the perfect weapon. "Toujin," she started as she came up to him after class. "Can I ask another huge favour of you, pretty pretty please?" she asked he eyes big and soft as she stared at him.  
  
Toujin knew he was going to regret this, he just knew it. "Sure Mina, what do you need?"  
  
"Well, one of my friends is having trouble too, can she join our little study session?" she begged.  
  
Toujin felt like jumping for joy, Mina was bringing one of her friends along, which meant they wouldn't ever be alone in the apartment. Konjou had a way of making himself scarce at times, and he just knew that Konjou would leave him to suffer in his own private hell today. "Sure!" he replied before he thought any further.  
  
"Great, thanks again Toujin, just let me get my books and Makoto and I will be ready to leave." She smiled as she walked away.  
  
As it sank in just who she was bringing along Toujin realised his mistake, she wasn't bringing a study partner, she was bringing alone something to distract Konjou. This confirmed it, he was officially in hell.  
  
As Konjou ran on ahead to make sure the apartment was in top shape for company, Toujin took every side street he could, hoping to make the path to his apartment so confusing that the girls would never attempt to show up unannounced. For some reason though the two girls shared a smile the entire time, as if they were aware of his plan, and for some reason unconcerned. As the Nobara apartment came into view, he talked animatedly to them, trying to distract them away from anything that could be used as a landmark to its location. Strangely enough the girls never bothered to look around on their way inside. As they began their long walk up the stairs, the elevator being closed down from the reduced power load of the building, Makoto finally let them in on their little secret, and the reason they had been smiling the whole trip here.  
  
"Hey Mina, isn't Usagi's boyfriend Mamoru's apartment on the fourteenth floor of this complex?" Makoto asked breezily  
  
"Yep, Toujin only lives one floor above him," she turned to Toujin as she finished her statement, "small world isn't it?"  
  
Konjou made it into the apartment a full ten minute's before the others. There was no way he was going to have the first girl in a very long time come to visit him with his apartment looking like he hadn't straitened it in weeks. He snapped his fingers and every candle in the front room lit. A glare directed at the coffee table caused the abandoned cups to float over to the sink and begin to rapidly clean themselves. A wave of his hand at the floor caused a very tiny tornado to move about it, sucking up all manner of dust and debris. Another glare caused every surface to shine as if polished, even the windows shown completely free of any dirt or streaks. Giving the apartment one last look he seemed to come to a decision, a bright silver glow surrounded him and several large leather bean bag style chairs appeared making the room look just that much more inviting. Satisfied now that the apartment was ready for company, Konjou dashed into the bathroom to ready himself.  
  
Makoto was nervous, it wasn't very often that she went practically alone into a boy's house. She had no idea where their parents were, but in the last few weeks it had become readily obvious that the boys lived alone. She didn't know all that much about their pasts, for some reason any time a discussion about their families came up, the boys would respond that they and three other cousins were all that remained of their clan. Apparently their cousin Daiichi Koden was the head of their clan. He oversaw their educations and handled their accounts, but he allowed them to live on their own. Dragging her thoughts back to the point at hand Makoto told herself that it was ok. Mina was here with her so she wasn't alone, and Konjou was a nice boy, he was nothing like Kenji, she would be just fine.  
  
This was it, the moment of truth, Mina thought to herself as Toujin unlocked the door in the foyer of the apartment. She was prepared for nearly anything, but still the first sight of his place was very nice. Everything was clean and orderly, but still managed to radiate a lived in feel. She supposed that they probably had a maid service, boys just weren't this neat naturally Though Konjou had gotten there before they did, she knew he hadn't had enough time to turn a normal bachelor pad into this that quickly. Sighing in contentment, Mina put her books on the coffee table near the very western style divan and took a closer look at the tastefully decorated apartment.  
  
The walls were a pale blue that made one think of spring mornings. The carpet a plush off white, that was miraculously free of stains. Several beautiful paintings adorned the walls, one obviously done by Michiru. A couple of the paintings were done in an odd style, they were far more realistic than modern paintings, yet their subjects were obviously imaginary, an example was a truly gorgeous rendering of a winged unicorn. It looked so real that you expected to see it flick its tail when you turned your head slightly. Crystal vases held exotic flowers in nearly every corner of the room, their combined scents giving the room a truly unearthly aroma. Despite the hot summer and lack of air conditioning the room was cool, and the strategically situated mirrors reflected the candlelight, aiding the open blinds in making the room as bright as electric lights would have done. The overall effect was like stepping into a dream.  
  
"It's beautiful," Minako whispered as she curled into a beanbag chair.  
  
"Thanks," Toujin said as he stared accusingly at the beanbag chairs. "We try our best to keep it that way."  
  
"Wow," Makoto added as she finished a small circle of the room to stand before a startlingly realistic painting of a dragon in flight.  
  
"You like that painting Makoto?" Toujin asked as he looked absently at several glass globes sitting at intervals on shelves near the ceiling.  
  
"Yes, that dragon almost looks real. I wonder who painted it." She remarked.  
  
"I did." He answered.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me, that's so beautiful." She said as she unconsciously drew closer to it.  
  
"Unfortunately he isn't," Konjou said as he entered the room. "He's got a tiny bit of artistic talent, but if you compliment him like that he'll be impossible to live with for weeks."  
  
Toujin made a rude gesture at Konjou behind the girls' backs as Konjou made his way closer to Makoto. Mina had yet to move since curling kitten like into the oversized cushion. Toujin found he rather liked seeing her looking so content. "Well, I hate to be the voice of reason here," he spoke. "But if you two are going to get any better at physics we'll have to get started." He finished with a grin.  
  
"Yea, you three start," Konjou said "I'll just make some snacks and jump in later."  
  
"How about I help you?" Makoto asked somewhat shyly. "I'm pretty handy in the kitchen."  
  
"Oh, that's a wonderful Idea Makoto," Mina added. "You can show Konjou some of those wonderful treats you make."  
  
"Well," Konjou said, "I don't want to detract from your studies."  
  
"Oh that's ok," she retorted. "I don't need nearly as much help as Mina. I got an eighty seven on the last test."  
  
Mina had the grace to look embarrassed as Toujin shook his head in wonder at just how badly she had manipulated him. Mina gave Makoto a V sign as Konjou turned laughing to lead the way into the kitchen.  
  
Toujin believed he knew how a mouse felt. Konjou and Makoto had been gone for over an hour, and Mina had put that time to excellent use. She had either purposely failed the test or she simply hadn't been feeling well when she took it, because she was actually quite knowledgeable in practical physics. She was also stalking him. No less than three times he had looked up to find her and her books moved closer to him. How she moved the chair without it making any noise to tip him off was totally beyond him. He had scooted away every time but he had finally run out of table. Things were looking grim for him.  
  
"Toujin," Mina spoke as she scooted their books out of the way and moved close enough that he could feel her breath on his face. "Why are you afraid of me?"  
  
"I'm not afraid of you Mina, I'm afraid for you." He spoke softly refusing to face her for fear of what would happen if he saw her eyes. "You deserve a lot better than me."  
  
"How can I deserve better than you? You're perfect for me." She spoke beginning to slide around his back and rest her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Mina, you know almost nothing about me. Trust me, there are some things about me that would curl your hair, and besides there are people that don't like me, and they would hurt you it they saw you with me." He told her in a quiet voice.  
  
"I can take better care of myself than you think." Mina whispered as she moved her mouth ever closer to his ear.  
  
Toujin was paralyzed. His ability to resist Mina was almost gone. As a last ditch effort, it forged an agreement with the dissenting parts of his mind. He wouldn't move and she could make the choice. His heart came to a stop as he felt her warm lips close around his earlobe, her hot breath bringing a shiver to him as she began to nibble. A groan of surrender was torn from his throat as he turned and captured her lips with his.  
  
Yes, Mina thought as his arms came around her and pulled her tight to him. His lips were driving her slowly insane with their teasing pressure against her own. She wanted a more intimate kiss, but now that he had finally started to participate she had lost the total control she had once had. She liked it better this way anyway. He lightly bit her bottom lip as he sucked on it gently. His hands were not content to simply hold her, they began a slow rhythmic stroking of her back and sides, his palms pressing firmly into her as he scratched her lightly with his fingernails. The contrasting feeling aroused by the dual caress made her feel light headed and slightly dizzy. After a moment his mouth abandoned her lips to track a path across her cheek and up her jawbone to her ear. She sucked in her breath sharply as he took her lobe into his hot mouth and nibbled firmly, just on the border between pleasure and pain.  
  
Mina began to breathe erratically, she was lost from here on out. Despite her beauty she was remarkably low on practical relationship experience. The example set by her Princess's near perfect relationship had made her very careful on how she behaved with the few boys she had dated that and her own near total lack of free time due to Senshi business had conspired to assure that she had never gone beyond this point. Her train of thought was again derailed as his lips traced a path of fire down her neck until he reached a point just above her collarbone. He began to alternate between sucking firmly and lightly grazing her flesh with his teeth. She moaned his name as her arms contracted around him.  
  
Mina pulled away from his mouth her heart beating rapidly in response to her rising emotions. Her eyes sought his out as she guided his head back with her fingers, his emerald eyes almost seemed to swirl as she brought her lips to his. His lips parted instinctively when he felt her tongue gently caress them. Her tongue slid past his parted lips and stroked his, sending a shiver up his spine. His hands involuntarily clenched in response to her welcome intrusion. He opened his mouth a little wider and curled his tongue against hers his hands moving down to clasp her tightly on her hips. Mina sighed in contentment as his tongue pushed past hers to rub against the back of her lips. The dizzy feeling grew ever stronger and she found herself trying to burrow even further into his embrace.  
  
Toujin was lost, his ability to think gone as he tugged Mina onto his lap her legs falling to either side of him as she unintentionally straddled his hips. Mina gasped in surprise and pleasure as her hips rubbed against his, her weight pressing her down firmly against him. Toujin groaned at the feeling as Mina squirmed trying to relieve the tension in her own body.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama Mina," he groaned as he tore his lips from hers for breath. "You're going to kill me."  
  
"If I die like this I'll die happy." She whispered as she once again captured his lips with her own.  
  
Toujin's hands drifted further back from the sides of her hips to grasp her behind and pull her back against him. She squeaked in surprise as the vague feeling that had been nagging her sharpened into laser tight focus. There was absolutely no question that Toujin was interested in her. Mina took a chance and rocked her hips backwards then forwards. The feelings intensified on the forward stroke to nearly the point of her passing out. Toujin uttered an oath and brought his hands up her back underneath her shirt. With a deft movement the clasp holding Mina's bra fell open. Mina gasped at the delicious sensation of freedom as he rubbed small circles over the expanse of her back.  
  
With one hand she began to run her fingers through his hair, as the other mimicked the actions of his hands. Mina kissed down his jaw and began to nibble gently on his neck in between desperate gasps for air. Again she rocked her hips and felt Toujin's heart rate nearly double. He trailed one hand down her back over her rear and down the outside of her leg to her knee. Once there his hand moved over her knee to the inside of her leg and traced up he thigh to stop scant centimetres from the juncture of her thighs. Mina squeezed her legs tightly against Toujin's waist in unconscious response to the somewhat welcome intrusion.  
  
Mina was somewhat frightened of the direction this had taken. She had intended to enjoy a few kisses and maybe some innocent caresses. This far exceeded even her most generous definition of innocent caresses, but she was unsure of how to, or even if she wanted to, stop this. The intruding hand moved further up to the top side of her leg and continued on its trek towards her waist. Once there it crossed over her hips just above the top of her panties and repeated its previous path down her other leg. All the while his mouth continued its hot wet assault on her neck and his other hand made tiny firm circular motions on her back.  
  
Toujin wanted Mina, he craved her, and her continuous unconscious rolling of her hips was driving him insane. The smell of her obvious arousal overwhelmed his nose and the feel of her pressed against him had long since drowned out the protests of his conscience. His hand rolled to the back side of her leg and caressed its way up over her butt, only her underwear separating his hand from her flesh. His hand continued up briefly lifting the back of her skirt as it joined his other hand on her back. Pulling his head back to meet her gaze he brought his hands forward over her sides to her stomach. Her stomach muscles spasmed at the caress and her eyes grew huge and dark with desire. His gaze never leaving hers he slowly and deliberately caressed his way up her ribs to lightly clasp her breasts. Mina gasped in pleasure yet her eyes became wild and filled with fright. Toujin gave her a slow nod as he removed his hands. He kissed her lightly as he moved his hands once again back to the outside of her shirt. She calmed remarkably even remaining so when his hands once again took ahold of her breasts this time through her fuku top. His thumbs rolled her distended nipples through her shirt causing her to catch her breath once again.  
  
Mina swallowed nervously as Toujin continued to caress her breasts through her top, she could literally feel her pulse throughout her entire body her heart was beating so hard. His gaze was mesmerizing as he continued to watch her eyes. Her body felt as if were on autopilot, it seemed to move of its own accord repeatedly pressing against the hardness covered by his thin school uniform pants. His thumbs rolled over her nipples again making her back bow in response, her body straining even with her top in the way for a more intimate touch. Toujin took the hint her body offered him and brought his index fingers in to pinch her hardened nipples through her top. Mina gave a squeal of pleasure and pulled his mouth against his to stifle her own moans. She whimpered when he removed his hands from her breasts, but quickly sighed when they found their way back down to her skirt.  
  
Toujin watched her eyes as he slid his hands under her skirt, slowly caressing his way up the insides of her thighs until he was less than a centimetre from her most sacred of places. Mina was so confused, she was dizzy with desire yet terrified of what would happen if they didn't stop. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder breathing deeply. One of his hands slid around the top of her leg to her butt, his hand moving across her panties to caress her cheeks. Mina bit his shoulder to keep from crying out in surprise and pleasure. He turned his head and nudged hers until their eyes met. Looking deeply into her beautiful blue eyes Toujin moved the hand still resting on her thigh to brush her meike through her panties.  
  
Mina clenched her eyes shut and trembled with the sensations assaulting her. She couldn't think, couldn't sort out her emotions on what was happening. Again his fingers brushed against her, this time though they traced up the crease of her body all the way up and past to the waistband of her skirt. A single motion of his fingers undid the large button holding her skirt tightly together. His fingers trailed down dragging the skirt with him as he went. He stopped to life her left leg over him rearranging their position so that she no longer straddled his hips, rather she now sat sideways on his lap. Once he had her rearranged he began once again to remove her skirt. The skirt hit the floor next to them with a swishing sound Mina was certain could be heard in Sapporo. Toujin kissed her gently as he put his hands at the bottom of her shirt and began to slowly life it. She raised her arms over her head and allowed him to completely remove it. Her bra, long since unfastened, fell down her arms to her wrists, as she dropped her arms back to her sides.  
  
Mina couldn't look at him as he gazed for the first time at her nearly naked body. She was too nervous and afraid of disappointing him. She felt his hands on her sides as he kissed her closed eyes. His hands slid excruciatingly slowly up her sides to close fully over her arousal swollen breasts. She gasped when he resumed rolling her nipples between his thumb and forefingers, her head quickly jerked up and her eyes opened to see if her body pleased him. His head lowered towards her breasts, his hot breath causing her nipples to contract even further to diamond hard points. She could feel his lips just brushing her nipple when a shocked voice interrupted him.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama!" Makoto's shocked voice cut into the lovers from the doorway to the kitchen. Toujin moved fast enough to make his performance on the track look like slow motion. He grabbed Mina and pulled her near naked form behind him, gathering her discarded clothing and setting them on her lap in the same movement. By the time Makoto's oath had died in the air of living room Toujin had Mina completely blocked from view and had turned and faced Makoto with an expression that failed miserably at being innocent.  
  
"Um, g.gomen, for disturbing you," Makoto stuttered as she bolted down the hallway to the open bathroom door. Mina pulled her shirt on over her head and quickly followed her, casting reassuring glances over her shoulder at Toujin. He could just hear her voice as she knocked on the door to the bathroom asking Makoto to let her in.  
  
"I am so sorry," Makoto began once Mina got into the bathroom. "I was just on my way to the bathroom and."  
  
"It's ok Makoto," Mina said still shaking from the catastrophic crash of her arousal. "I know you didn't mean to walk in on that, I didn't even mean for it to happen." She said with not just a little bit of embarrassment. Mina turned on the cold water and began to wash her face and hands trying to cool down her flushed body. Oddly enough Makoto was doing much the same thing.  
  
"Your clothes are a mess Mina. You look all wrinkled," Makoto said with a smile. "And unless I'm badly mistaken, that's gonna be a record breaking hickey."  
  
Mina's eyes darted to the mirror to examine the area Makoto had pointed out, sure enough the beginnings of a massive extraordinarily dark hickey already shown back at her. Tears filled her eyes as she pictured the humiliation of facing her parents and friends with it showing so obviously on her neck. "Somebody just shoot me now," she wailed.  
  
Makoto and Mina left quickly after getting out of the bathroom, declining the boys offer to walk them home. Mina did give Toujin a kiss goodbye, but it was more a brushing of lips than anything. She just didn't trust herself after experiencing the terrifyingly powerful feelings his kisses could invoke in her. They were no more than a block away from the apartment when their communicators began to beep. Mina whistled to herself as she imagined the reaction she would get if she were still at Toujin's. First she couldn't have guaranteed she would have even noticed or cared, and second the looks she would have gotten from whomever called when she answered topless, sweating and flushed would have been priceless.  
  
"Everyone we need you at the shrine as soon as possible," the voice of Luna came through the communicator. "We finally found some information on the enemy." With that the message ended leaving Mina and Makoto to run to the Jinja.  
  
The girls all sat gathered around the two cats as they waited for everyone to get comfortable. Luna and Artemis looked haggard, they hadn't been seen in nearly two weeks, since they left on their mission to learn from central the meanings of the incomprehensible words spoken by Mordaki, a short moment later Luna began her briefing.  
  
"First some basic information, the word Primarch, it is related to Matriarch or Patriarch, meaning Female or Male leader respectively. Primarch would then mean First or great leader. The rest is anything but basic. The world Ulterran is older than the Moon Kingdom. You all know that the Moon Kingdom peacefully ruled the solar system for thousands of years, years with little in the way of war or conflict. Yes there was some crime but it was mostly crimes of need. Nothing in the modern world has even begun to achieve the level of peace and prosperity of the Moon Kingdom, but it wasn't the first civilization. The Moon Kingdom was built on the ashes of an even older society. The language of the Moon was a derivative of the language spoken in the previous society, and the language was called Aleph. Ulterran is the Aleph word for Master, the word is always capitalized. Not only does it mean Master though, the word had other connotations, it meant progenitor, and also creator, and even lord. The word Primarch would be almost unchanged in Aleph, and that word takes on a special meaning if you take into consideration the myths of the pre- Moon Kingdom people." Luna's gaze pressed itself into all of the assembled people.  
  
At this point Artemis took over the meeting. "According to the legends, the universe wasn't created by a single Deity, but by a consortium of five beings. These beings each personified a force integral to the universe they had made. The first named Rhendar personified creation itself, it was energy without form, or a better description would be time. The second named Dallak personified form given to creation, or shape and order. The third, Enkil personified will given to form, or intelligence and spirit. The fourth was the personification of chaos and decay its name was Chuthulu. The last completed the cycle by returning all nothing ness or oblivion, its name was Dahak. But these creatures wanted their creation to continue without their interference. It was something like an experiment to them, what would the Universe do. If they interfered in the universe then they would never learn what universes did on their own, so the created avatars, living sentient motes of their power. These avatars were unique, they were the only creatures in the universe. A universe that was only minutes old. The avatars had free will therefore they were independent from their creators. The creators then withdrew from the universe to watch their experiment from afar. Over a billion years passed before the creators took another step with their experiment. They created beings to oversee a new addition to their creation. These beings then made the gods to aid them in their duties. The gods then created almost all the life in the universe, but they lacked the ability to impart sentience to their creations. Several billion years later the Universe itself finally took a hand. In a mindless mimicry of the only true sentient creatures in existence, as gods cannot be considered creatures, the Universe made more beings like the avatars. These lesser creatures called themselves Ulterran."  
  
Luna once again took over the explanation with, "The Ulterran inhabited the recently cooled worlds and for eons uncounted lived content in their own existence. The first Ulterran, like the Avatars, were immortal or so they believed. The first generation of Ulterran came in many shapes and these different peoples had little in common other than ancestry. Their shapes had determined their needs, and those led to their wants. Where wants and needs collided there was conflict. The first deaths in the Universe came about from these. The Ulterran over time learned that their offspring were less than they themselves were. Something was going wrong, several of their children had been born without the powers that typified their race. The Avatars, or Primarchs as the Ulterran had come to call them, learned of a horrible truth. The power that the Ulterran possessed carried a flaw, for only a limited number of generations could the children be considered Ulterran. After thirteen generations their power would no longer be passed on, and nothing they could come up with would halt this tragedy. The Avatar of the fourth Creator Jander called the powerless offspring mortal, the Ulterran word for degenerate, and thus the mortal races came to be. The Ulterran were dying out, it seemed that even the first generation didn't live forever and the Primarchs depressed by the death of their race chose to pass into sleep, but the universe needed the Primarchs and without the emanations of energy they gave off, the forces they represented began to unravel. The Primarchs created gems to fill the universe with their energies while they slept, knowing that they would again awaken once the universe needed them."  
  
"The Primarchs if the legends hold any truth at all are beings of incomprehensible power only moments younger than the Universe itself. They would be according to legend an integral part of how the Universe functions. If they are real and have woken up, they would be each several orders of magnitude more dangerous than anything you have ever faced. Thankfully I seriously doubt the myth holds any truth. If the Primarch Mordaki awoke, then the rest would have as well, and since no one has run into Lor, Niccolai, Jander or Mordred I'd say were safe." Artemis concluded with a smile.  
  
Setsuna looked like she was going to cry, an expression guaranteed to make the other Senshi wonder when the apocalypse was going to get around to them. "I have seen evidence of this, Lor" Setsuna commented stiffly. "Yesterday I decided to try the Time Gates once again, this time the test pattern spelled out the word Lor."  
  
"And we got in a fight with a person a lot like Mordaki, named Niccolai a few days after we fought Mordaki." Usagi informed the cats.  
  
"You did what?" Luna screeched. "Why didn't anyone tell us these things?"  
  
"You were looking things up at central, it was deemed unimportant compared to your already existent mission" Setsuna rationalized calmly.  
  
"You're telling me that you encountered a hostile entity that is quite possibly actually a primal force of the universe, and you felt we didn't need to be disturbed in a library search with it?" Luna asked incredulously.  
  
"Um, not really," Usagi said looking slightly embarrassed. "Actually I just kinda forgot to tell you. It's been a really really bad month."  
  
"It gets worse," Ami said. "I have a bit of news about some more of their activities. It seems that the air pollution problem has been solved. Yesterday it hailed solidified bits of the toxins in the air down on the capital city of every industrialized nation in the world save Japan. Here the pollution rained down on Kyoto. Also yesterday over half a million barrels of radioactive waste washed ashore on the coasts of the countries that dumped them in the ocean in the first place. The number of people worldwide now suffering from radiation sickness is astounding. It has become obvious that these 'Primarchs' are very unhappy with the human race's treatment of this world."  
  
"If it is indeed the Primarchs, and not some lesser Ulterran that has somehow managed to survive then we have a serious problem. It is simply impossible for you to force them to stop. They have survived since the instant time itself began. Their destruction would likely throw the balance of power between the forces they represent." Luna said with grim determination. "We absolutely must learn if these people are truly the Primarchs. We absolutely can not be sure of how to deal with them until we know."  
  
"There is one other important thing," Artemis said refusing to look at Luna. "Luna didn't want to tell you this, but if the legends are true, and if these are the Primarchs, then these are the people that created the Silver Imperium Crystal. Think about it, they each made a gem to fill the universe with their power so they could rest. Five crystals of immense power, each one governing a force of the universe, one governing Time," Artemis stared hard at Setsuna, making her remember the Garnet Orb on her staff. "One Nature and Form." This time his gaze locked with Mamoru. Mamoru knew he meant the Golden Crystal, guarded by his servant Elios. "One governing Will and Spirit," his eyes trailed to his Princess, and she became uncomfortably aware of the weight of her Crystal. "One for Chaos." The gathered people shivered remembering the power of Galaxia, though they recalled no crystal that she possessed. "And one for Entropy," he finished.  
  
"But Galaxia didn't have a crystal, and we've never seen an Entropy crystal," Usagi commented hopefully.  
  
"Galaxia may not have had it, but she was defiantly under its influence." Artemis spoke with conviction. "And I hate to disagree with you Usagi, but you have seen an Entropy crystal. Its power was divided five ways at one point and it was still a match for the Silver Crystal. You do remember Nemesis don't you?"  
  
The room fell silent as the implications of that settled in. Usagi appeared more composed than usual, the repeated shocks of the last several weeks had apparently brought out in her the emotional fortitude that had allowed someone as kind hearted as herself to remain sane through the deaths of her friends at D-point and at the hands of Galaxia. Her expression took on a regal cast as she once again addressed the cats.  
  
"Does this mean then that the crystals are mere reflections of the beings that created them?"  
  
"No, the crystals are more like, batteries. They hold and generate the same energy that the Primarchs do, but without having wills of their own. The Primarchs each made a gem to represent them. But they are not the gem, nor does the gem have their goals. Remember though that if you can do it with the Silver Crystal, Usagi, Niccolai could do it unaided, and probably with less difficulty."  
  
"Well," Mamoru said. "That settles that question, I'm going to summon Elios and have him bring me the Golden Crystal. The next time we encounter Mordaki he'll get a taste of his own medicine."  
  
"That is what I was afraid of" Luna whispered to Artemis as the Senshi and Mamoru began to plan for their next encounter with a Primarch.  
  
Once the Senshi had gotten the plans for vengeance for their defeats out of the way the meeting turned to other matters they felt were important. "So girls," Makoto spoke with an evil grin. "Did any of you notice Mina's new 'birthmark'?"  
  
The other girls turned almost as one to examine Mina closely. She did her best to cover the vivid evidence of her activities with her hand and by turning but to no avail. Once they were on the trail of amusement her friends were relentless. The giggles turned to gasps as the full glory of the hickey was revealed to them.  
  
"So Mina," Haruka began. "Is your new boyfriend a vampire or something?" She teased.  
  
"Ohh, that one looks like it would hurt a little." Usagi spoke with the voice of experience. "I know I've had a few that were sore in the morning." As she spoke, Mamoru tried his best to make himself invisible. "It's a good thing I have the disguise pen or my father would have killed amour by now."  
  
At the thought of being able to hide her indiscretions from her parents Mina dived on her princess. "Usagi you absolutely have to let me borrow that pen. If my parents see this I'll be grounded until Crystal Tokyo."  
  
"Absolutely not!" Luna responded scandalized. "The disguise pen is not intended to be used so frivolously!" she yelled casting a furious glare on her ward. "Besides."  
  
"Oh hush Luna," Usagi chided her cat. "This is the first time Mina has ever asked, and she really needs it. That monster is way too bad for makeup to hide," she giggled. "Makoto's on the other hand isn't as bad." The girls stopped their teasing of Mina instantly to give Makoto a curious look. Makoto froze as they circled her searching for the mark Usagi was talking about. They found it, almost as dark as Mina's but nowhere near as large on the side of her neck, way up high, hidden by her ear from a frontal view. Makoto would have never seen it without being told it was there.  
  
The girls smiled to each other and grinned evilly as they began their interrogation of the two embarrassed adolescents. 


	3. Revelations and rowdyness

Makoto layed awake in her bed, her eyes closed remembering the events of this afternoon. She felt very sorry for her friend Mina. Mina had been snappish and irritated after the Senshi meeting. She understood Mina's feelings better than she was willing to admit. Makoto cast her mind back to the kitchen of the boys' apartment, recalling just how she had come to interrupt Mina in the midst of passion.  
  
******** Konjou led the way into the kitchen, it was as neat and orderly as the living room, leading her to believe that the boys were even better about cleaning up than she was. She looked at Konjou as he took out the ingredients she got out the cutting board and knives.  
  
"Here," he said handing her the green peppers and chillies, "why don't you wash these while I find the rice steamer"  
  
Makoto readily agreed and began washing the vegetables while he dug into one of the cabinets near the sink. His nearness, alone with her in the kitchen of his house, brought a tremor of excitement to her movements. She knew that Mina was here for only one real reason, getting some quality kisses from Tenjin. Makoto felt much the same about Konjou, but wasn't nearly as ready to go to the extremes to get her way that Mina was.  
  
Makoto jumped in surprise as Konjou's arms wound around her sides and took a hold of the pepper in her hands. "You've been washing this pepper for five minutes," he whispered in her ear. "You want to tell me what's so fascinating about it?"  
  
Makoto could hardly breathe, her back was pressed firmly to his chest and his elbows lay just beneath, almost but not quite touching, her breasts. "I.I was thinking about the physics exam," she lied trying to reign in her galloping heartbeat. "I was just wondering what Tenjin is teaching Mina."  
  
"Hmm, she probably the one trying to teach him," he joked as he turned his head, placing his lips on the skin of her neck just behind her ear. "She seems pretty aggressive."  
  
"Yea," Makoto sighed not quite realizing what he was saying. "She's been pretty upset about her failures."  
  
"I can guarantee you if she keeps at it he'll teach her things you wouldn't believe." Konjou said as his mouth moved down her neck to her collar.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama, we can't do this. Not here Konjou." She said trying to get back under control.  
  
"Why not," he whispered. "They wouldn't notice if we were in here for a week."  
  
"This is too fast, we've been in here for less than ten minutes and you've already got me stirred up," she said as she pulled herself almost unwillingly out of his embrace. Makoto took a step towards the living room and found her hand still lightly captured in his. She turned to him to ask that he please let go and stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
His eyes were magnetic, pulling her back the one step away she had managed to take. He gathered her gently in his arms once again, kissing her upturned face on her pert nose. From there his lips kissed a trail of fire over her cheek to her neck, and back again. By the time his lips returned to hers she was breathing heavily and doing her best to meet him kiss for kiss. His tongue traced over her lips silently seeking entrance, and her lips parted in response.  
  
Makoto groaned into his mouth and allowed her hands to fall to his rear. She pulled him tightly to her feeling his hardness press into the juncture of her thighs. He turned around with her still in his arms and pressed her up against the counter. He lifted her slightly so that she then sat on the edge, her legs wrapped around his waist. His hands moved up and down her back as their mouths continued their battle for dominance.  
  
Konjou brought his hands down and began to caress her butt through her skirt, Makoto let out a sigh of contentment and pulled her hands from his back to rub up and down his chest. He growled into her mouth and mimicked her actions making her arch her back in response. He brought his hands up under her breasts and lifted slightly as his fingers curled around their sides. He contracted his hands kneading her breasts.  
  
Makoto unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it backwards forcing his hands away. Konjou made a sound quite like a purr as she dipped her head to his chest and swirled his nipples with her tongue one after the other. His shirt hit the floor as he finally freed it from his hands.  
  
Konjou grabbed the bottom of her fuku top and began to lift it off her, but she refused to raise her arms making removing it impossible. The errant top settled with its bottom just over Makoto's breasts. Lifting the bottom of her bra above her breasts, Konjou bent down and pulled her left nipple into his mouth. He sucked hard yet not enough to hurt, and punctuated his action by grazing its end with his teeth.  
  
Makoto felt as if she had been punched in the stomach, her muscles contracted so violently at the feeling. His attention moved to her other breast soon after and repeated the process. Her hands alternated between trying to hold his head to her and attempting to guide him. He moved as he desired regardless of the motions of her hands. His fingers caressed whichever breast his mouth abandoned at the time.  
  
Makoto's hands slid down from his head onto his back, her hands curled, scratching forcefully in unknowing response to her growing needs. Konjou purred deep in his throat in pleasure at the feeling of her hands, the vibrations travelling through his mouth into her breast, a loud moan tore itself from her at the sensation.  
  
Konjou slid his hands down onto her legs tracing a path up the inside of her thighs to her most sacred of places. He cupped her through her panties, his thumb flicking the hardened nub hidden within her folds. Makoto bit his shoulder hard to stifle her cry of pleasure. His thumb lightly traced a circle around the supersensitive nub over and over again.  
  
Makoto's hips had long since gone beyond her conscious control, they thrust against his hand in time with his thumb. She began to whimper wordlessly in need at his touch. Finally taking the hint her actions gave he brought the fingers of his hand to trace her slit as his thumb continued its self-appointed task. His fingers pressed into her, her panties pulling tight across her adding extra friction on the tiny knot of flesh that seem the centre of her world.  
  
Makoto yelped in surprise when his fingers lifted the side of her panties and slipped inside to caress her folds. She shook her head, maybe in denial of the touch, or perhaps of the feelings themselves, but the result was the same. Konjou pulled his hand away out of her panties and her bare flesh, she whimpered at the loss and pushed herself harder against his still occupied thumb. He once again moved her underwear aside to stroke her meike.  
  
Makoto pulled her hands hard against his back urging him closer, striving for a closeness she couldn't express with words. She brought her right hand around to the front of his pants and ran it against his hardness. Konjou bit her breast nearly hard enough to break skin in his shock, but Makoto was by this point far beyond what pain could interrupt, and simply moaned in response. Makoto began to rub him through his pants in time with his tracing of her folds. Their breaths became short as they fought the rising pleasure.  
  
Konjou was nearing the end of his sanity, his fingers nearly tore her panties pushing them aside far enough for him to slip a single finger into her. She stiffened in shock at the intrusion, the unbelievable tightness of her body nearly crushing his finger. He worked his single finger in and out of her body his thumb now circling her nubbin without the barrier of clothing.  
  
Makoto began to gasp and moan loudly as the sensation wound her tighter than a spring. A second finger pushed its way into her virgin channel, and the sensations assaulting her nearly tripled in response. By now Makoto was making more than enough noise to be heard in the living room, but she no longer cared, she couldn't stop the feelings burning themselves through her.  
  
Her hand clumsily tore at the button of his pants, her need to feel him almost as great as her need to be stroked by him. More through accident than by design she got her hand into his pants and wrapped around his hardness. Her hands moved in a convulsive motion in response to his movements on her. Makoto felt a burning begin in her, she pushed against his every movement trying to expedite the feeling she could sense coming her way. His fingers continued the maddening sawing motion within her body. Her arms and legs began to shake, her back arched and her grip tightened on him to a near crushing force. He covered her mouth with his as she began to yell and thrash in her ecstasy, her blood turned to liquid fire and all motion stopped as he swallowed her long cry of release. Her eyes widened in undisguised terror as the implications of her actions assaulted her now fully aware mind.  
  
Makoto sagged in despair as she tried to figure out how to get out of the situation she was in without going any further. On one hand she felt she owed him something, she had just had the most wonderful, terrifying, but wonderful experience of her life, and it was all his doing. On the other, despite how far they had already gone, now that she was more fully aware of her actions she knew this couldn't go any farther.  
  
"I'm so sorry," Makoto said slipping away from his touch, unable to look him in the face. "This has just gone way too far, I know I wasn't complaining earlier.."  
  
"Makoto, stop, don't worry. You want to end this right?" he said with a strained yet mostly patient tone. "That's still your choice to make. I'm not gonna force you, or even be angry at you for doing what you feel is right. But I hope you can understand that I'll be a little disappointed."  
  
"I'm sorry Konjou, I just. I just can't. I shouldn't have let it go this far." She said with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Shhh. its ok Mako-chan, its ok." He said as he patted her back. She straitened her clothing and prepared to do one of the hardest things she had done in her entire life. Makoto brought her face up and looked him in the eyes, seeing the caring look that almost, but not quite, masked the frustration and disappointment. "Thank you Konjou, very few men would have been able to stop themselves once it got this far."  
  
She moved to hug him but he backed away slightly. A look of hurt and confusion crossed her features. "What's wrong?" She asked in a soft voice.  
  
"I'm not too sure I'd be able to control myself if you started touching me again." He said with an embarrassed and slightly roguish grin.  
  
******** "He was so much nicer about that than I expected" Makoto thought once again as she curled her legs behind her feet nearly touching her butt as she lay in bed. Her body once again wet, in response to the memories of the magic Konjou's hands and lips had worked on her. "He's definitely the most wonderful boy I've ever met," she said to her self as sleep claimed her.  
  
******** Her computer beeped its warning at precisely four fifteen AM. Ami shook her head violently trying to clear the sleep from her eyes as she made her way to examine the reason for the offending noise. One look at the screen and she hit the all call button on her communicator, which was lying on her desk next to the computer. This was going to be trouble.  
  
The Senshi assembled a few blocks away from the park, recent events had taught them that taking these foes on with anything less than a full team was pointless. The feel of magic weighed heavily in the air. As close as they were they didn't need Mercury to tell them something fairly major was going on. The Senshi cautiously approached the park, those with weapons had them out and all were prepared to fire their magic at a moments notice.  
  
It looked like the park had been replaced with a piece from some alien world. The air sparkled with incandescent swirls of light, silver, gold, blue and white mists mixed together as they floated inches above the ground. The entire park seemed to vibrate with the unearthly chanting coming from the general location of the docks. The occasional bursts of flame seeming to originate from the still unseen lake made them feel even less confident in themselves.  
  
The Senshi finally approached close enough to see the cause of all this disturbance. Niccolai floated less than a metre off the surface of the lake glowing with intense silver light. Sailor Moon could feel the resonation of her crystal to the power he wielded. Usagi was torn with indecision, sure he was using lots of magic for something but he wasn't doing anything bad that she could see. These 'Primarchs' so far hadn't tried to hurt anyone until they were attacked. And though they had done some things that weren't at all very nice to her Senshi, the things they'd been doing had been cleaning up the world. Maybe they weren't bad, just misguided in how they helped people. It was entirely possible that if she could just talk to them she could get them to quit doing things that hurt people and everyone could be friends. That thought lasted until Endymion took the initiative in dealing with Niccolai, and with it any thoughts she had of making peace with them.  
  
Endymion had managed to contact Elios earlier that afternoon, Elios had protested vehemently about Endymion's decision, but he had obeyed, Endymion now had the Golden Crystal in his possession and with a grin of anticipation for the coming payback, unleashed its power in a staggeringly powerful blast of energy. The magic tore through the air at something just this side of the speed of light, its staggering force smote Niccolai full on in the chest, slamming him backwards in a blur of movement. The bolt of power carried Niccolai over the lake and drove him into the hillside on the far side like a spike. Endymion held onto the Crystal with all his willpower, continuing the attack. The beam of energy continued to burn into the hill, its backwash began to boil the lake. He knew how powerful these 'Primarchs' were, he would not take any chances. The hill was reduced to a shattered ruin, the lake frothed and steamed, the ground for two hundred meters around the point of impact was burnt and blasted. Finally exhausted from his efforts, Endymion fell to the ground and could sustain the attack no more.  
  
The Senshi began to move around the near side of the lake, though they doubted his survival, none of them wanted to take any chances. Uranus and Jupiter led the pack their faces set in grim determination at their task. Though Uranus was untroubled by her conscience, Makoto for the first time wondered if what they were doing was right. These people may be different, but the Outers had done as much or even more harm to innocents fighting the Death Busters as these guys had. The environmental changes have been nice, she thought. Given that her magic was based in plants, it was pretty hard for her to be angry at someone that seemed to care as much for the world as these 'Primarchs' did. Makoto followed a few steps behind as Uranus neared the crater. Uranus readied the Space Sword, and prepared to strike quickly.  
  
A loud screeching sound distracted her from her task. Uranus looked up just in time to avoid a blast of fire, from a small winged shape circling protectively around the crater. The smoke and steam made it difficult to discern the nature of the attacker, but it did nothing to stop Uranus from sending a return strike. Uranus's attack was joined by Neptune, Venus, and Mars's, the creature though rolled out of the way with seeming ease, magic flying wide of it. The girls again prepared to fire at the small shape, but it took the opportunity to close in on Uranus.  
  
The creature was difficult to get a fix on at its speed but as it closed it became apparent that it was a dragon, a very small dragon. Its golden body was about the size of a domestic cat, its tail probably a little longer than that, its wingspan spread a good two and a half meters. Uranus got the best look at it though as it flew by her at no more than a metre over her head, and smacked her in the face with its tale. Uranus screamed in outrage as the dragon hissed in a cute mockery of laughter as it once again barrel rolled out of the way of the Senshi's attacks. Nothing they did could seem to catch their mercurial foe, though it seemed quite content to taunt them with bursts of flame that missed them by the tiniest of margins. The humiliating dragon kept the Senshi quite occupied, for several minutes any time one of them tried to break off combat with it to deal with Niccolai, they would become the target of choice. Unfortunately for the Senshi this action was quite effective.  
  
Seven minutes, that's all that Prince Endymion had been able to do. His monumental and unprecedented attack with the Golden Crystal had wounded Niccolai severely. The last time it had taken such an extraordinary amount of time for him to recover, Mordred had been showing him the finer points of focused entropic energies, this had hurt almost as bad. It really was too bad for Endymion that he wasn't anywhere near as powerful as Mordred, as Niccolai had lost his temper.  
  
Ami looked up as a large black shape leapt from the crater and ran in a blur at Endymion. In the time since his attack on Niccolai Endymion had managed to draw enough energy off the golden crystal to return to his fully powered up form. Ami winced as her computer began to give out its data on the blur's energy readings, Endymion was in for another bad night.  
  
The blur resolved itself into something out of an ailurophobe's worst nightmares. It was vaguely human shaped, short stygian fur covered it entirely, sharp teeth and silver eyes shown on its entirely catlike face. In short it looked like an anthropomorphic feline, an angry one.  
  
It swiped angrily at Endymion as it yowled in rage, tearing through his armour like tissue paper spraying blood out in a wide arc. Endymion cried out in pain and tried to bring the Golden Crystal to bear once again on his target, but the cat-thing moved to fast. Again it struck and another viscous wound opened on the Earth Prince, this time on his side. Sailor Moon screamed in fear and rage but could not seem to get a clear shot on her love's assailant. Once again the cat-thing struck this time without its claws extended. The sound of Endymion's ribs breaking could be clearly heard one hundred meters away. The creature moved in for the kill Endymion's death was clear in its eyes, it could easily avoid any attack the Senshi called out. That was exactly why it didn't notice Makoto sneak up behind it. It never even knew she was there as she had remained silent, and it was so intent on killing Endymion that it never contemplated that the Senshi would attack it physically. Makoto made her move as it loomed above her prince, her foot struck quickly, snapping from the ground to in between the creature's legs so quickly that her foot became invisible in its flight. It struck the cat-thing, causing an almost comical yowl of pain. Its tail lashed out in a reflexive response tripping Makoto and giving it time to react more.  
  
The creature leapt away, landing more than twenty meters from Endymion and Makoto. Its features melted like butter for an instant, resolving into those of Niccolai. He was obviously even angrier than before. Sailor Saturn finally had a clear shot, though she knew that these people could defend themselves against her lesser attack she knew she had to try. She drew her Glaive back to unleash her Magic, and found herself detained by a small golden dragon sitting on the blade. The dragon had its tail curled around the haft of the weapon seemingly unconcerned with the power it could unleash. Hotaru narrowed her eyes and began to attack anyway despite her passenger but suddenly found herself without the ability to speak. The dragon actually smiled at her as she silently screamed in impotence.  
  
A translucent silver bubble surrounded Niccolai as the rest of the Senshi fired their attacks at him. Niccolai's dark expression took on an even more ominous cast as he began to chant in an echoing terrifying voice. "Chutula nondras, ceadrel jotai hondara mas. Naturu jendessai war."  
  
The dragons eyes widened in shock as the chant continued. It began to look frantically around and hissed in warning at the Senshi who stood staring in sick fascination at the aura of power that now surrounded Niccolai. The chant grew ever more terrifying as the air began to hum in sympathy with the words.  
  
"Dahau sendressa far tefig ATRAN!" he finished. A ball of intense light surrounded him as he took note of his location. With a pained look Niccolai disappeared from sight, a millisecond later a flash of light thousands of times brighter than the sun bloomed on the horizon. The dragon uncurled from its position on the Silence Glaive and looked towards the now darkened sky. It sighed and in an instant of blurring, it resolved itself into Mordaki. The Senshi were in a quandary, Endymion was either dead or dying, one of their enemy had just appeared in the middle of their group, and judging by the glowing distinctively mushroom shaped cloud off to the east, another enemy had just unleashed the magical equivalent of a nuclear bomb somewhere over the ocean.  
  
They stood in dread of what new horrors the Primarchs could unleash, no one, not Haruka, not Rei, not even Setsuna moved towards Mordaki, who simply watched the horizon for something unknown. Endymion's dying gasps brought Usagi back to lucidity as she quickly tried to use her crystal to save him. A bright silver glow surrounded the lovers as she poured her energies into him, willing his wounds to heal. After nearly a full minute Usagi collapsed, Endymion's wounds were unchanged.  
  
"No!" Usagi screamed in a heart wrenching voice. "No, Mamo-chan you can't die, you just can't." Again she drew upon the power of the crystal, fully prepared to give her own life to save his.  
  
"You can't save him with that." Mordaki said, drawing the attention of the Senshi to him. Most of them looked at him as if they just realised he stood there. Mordaki looked at Usagi's furious and grief stricken face. "Neko made those wounds, the crystal could never undo what its creator has done." Mordaki finished. With that he once again turned his head to scan the horizon to the east.  
  
"You can save him can't you." Usagi accused, it wasn't a question.  
  
"Yes." Mordaki said simply.  
  
"Then please, save him." She said, her eyes once again filling with tears as she acknowledged the enormous treason she committed with that request.  
  
"What makes you think I don't want him dead? I'm still not happy with him about hitting me with a rose, and besides, how do you know I won't bring him back as my slave or something." With that Mori again took his eyes off the skyline and stared deep into Usagi's eyes.  
  
"You don't want him dead." Usagi said simply. "If you did you would have killed him already, and I don't know for certain that you won't do something horrible to him, but if he's alive I'll always have hope of fixing anything else."  
  
Mordaki stared hard at Usagi, she had the impression that he looked not at her body but at her very soul. A flash of golden light encased her and she found herself no longer as Sailor Moon, but instead she stood now in her Princess Serenity form. Mordaki smiled tenderly at her, his eyes seeming to glow with warmth.  
  
"For you, I will." He said as he pointed his palm at Endymion. A soft golden light shone from his hand illuminating Endymion. An instant later Endymion showed no sign of ever having been wounded, his breathing was once again slow and even, like someone sleeping. Mordaki returned his gaze to the Princess. "He is returned to you, unharmed and unaltered little cousin. Now I must await the damage wrought by Neko."  
  
Five minutes later it became apparent what Mordaki had been waiting for. A massive tsunami raced towards the coastline of Japan. It was more than easily visible from where they stood, and yet it was silent. Mordaki raised his hands and extended them palms forward towards the wave. He then bent his wrists placing his palms parallel to the ground and lowered his arms, as he did the tsunami sank into the ocean.  
  
Mordaki looked around, seeming surprised that the Senshi were still there. "Is there something else you want?" he asked in a conversational tone. The gathered Senshi looked at their leader, unsure of what to do. Should they attack him, hoping that they could take him off guard, or should they retreat? He far outclassed all of them in power, he made Galaxia seem like a child in comparison. Usagi took control of the decision with a simple question.  
  
"Why are you doing all of this?" She asked.  
  
"All of what, young one?" he responded in an equally polite voice.  
  
"The destruction, the changes, even hurting people, why?" She implored, her eyes filled with tears.  
  
"Do you really care about my reasons, would it matter to you in the least why we do what we do, or are you trying to make me doubt my path?" he queried earnestly.  
  
"Both really." She replied.  
  
"Fine then, I'll tell you what you want to know. So long ago that you can't even begin to imagine it, we came into being. We were alone, the universe was dark as matter had yet to coalesce far enough to begin to give off light. The first stars wouldn't be born for eons. We five stood in awe at what our 'Fathers' had wrought. Time passed swiftly for us. There was much to do, and new wonders to see all the time. I remember clearly when the first quasar formed around the event horizon of a black hole. I remember the beauty of the first world capable of supporting life as you would recognise it. I also remember when the Universe itself took a hand and tried to copy what the Creators had made, us. For over a billion years the Ulterran ruled. They went everywhere, saw everything. They were so much like us, but they were fragile in comparison. Their power weakened through the eons, until they were no more. Their degeneration gave rise to your kind, the mortals." Mordaki paused, his stare locked with Usagi, his eyes burning with some unknown emotion.  
  
"When Jander christened your people 'mortal', a vile slur in our language, it became obvious how the rest of the Ulterran would treat you. I had long ago used my power to create for myself a vacation home. A place few other Ulterran knew of, and even fewer would dare intrude upon without my permission. In sorrow for them, for they had lost their birthrights without even being aware of what they had lost, Neko and I gathered the discarded children and moved them to my retreat. We taught them how to survive without the magic their ancestors took for granted. We taught them everything they would need to survive and make a place where their kind could be happy. For ten thousand years the Mortals dwelt in relative peace on the world we had transplanted them to. All the while the Ulterran continued to die out. More and more of the children were born 'mortal'. It was unsettling to see the death of the race that had been modelled after us. Most of the 'mortals' retained some scrap of the power of their forbearers, your race did not. Finally we Primarchs could stand the sorrow no more. We forged crystals to maintain the balance of energies in the universe and went to sleep, each in the places we felt most comfortable. Mordred drifted in the blackness of space. Jander slept on a world he had accidentally destroyed through his power. Lor entered his own crystal and slept within. Neko dissipated his corporeal form and slumbered within the dreams of his namesake. I on the other hand constructed a resting place for myself on the Island of 'Solitude'. I was very unhappy to find my home under seven kilometres of ocean when I awoke." His eyes flickered to Endymion his stare hardened until Usagi felt afraid for her prince. Mordaki tore his gaze off Endymion and his expression became somewhat sad.  
  
"When I began my sleep, the world was a beautiful place. The air was clean, the water was unpolluted, and its natural beauty was unspoiled. There were thousands of creatures then that do not exist now. Your people, though violent as always, knew that there was a line one did not cross even in warfare. Now you bend the forces that drive the sun to your own destructive ends. You have polluted or destroyed every life giving part of the planet. You abuse the knowledge you have amassed to create horrors even Jander has scarcely dreamed of, and worst, if you could find no way abuse something, you destroyed it so no one else could use it either." His voice took on a tone of disgust as her continued. "Your people have forgotten something important. This is my world. I have allowed your people to live here on my sufferance. Your actions have proven to me though that you cannot be trusted to live here unsupervised. Like all children that misbehave, your people will be disciplined, and before you say anything foolish about my rights remember this. I created this world, its mine, therefore you can follow my rules in 'my home' or you can leave. You're petty squabbling amongst yourselves have already destroyed the life giving ability of the other worlds nearby, I will not allow you to ruin this one."  
  
Usagi was aghast at the vehemence in Mordaki's voice. It was obvious to her that he felt betrayed by the way the human race had damaged 'his' world. It was understandable really. For the last two hundred years the rapid progression of technology and industry had done terrible things to the environment, but his answer was far too extreme. "Please, give us some time. The governments around the world have spent that last twenty years fighting to save the environment. It just takes time to change the way people act." She implored.  
  
"The mortals have run out of time. My world grows more ill every day. The laws these governments have passed are insufficient to halt the devastation, and only a few of them actively enforce them anyway. No I'm afraid its time for more decisive actions." Mordaki stated coldly.  
  
"But." Usagi began to protest.  
  
"No." Mordaki interrupted. "I will not rescind my decision. The mortals will have to learn again to survive without their filth."  
  
"Now just a minute here boy-o, nobody talks to our princess that way. You'd bet.. Ahhh!" Haruka's tirade was cut off in mid word as Mordaki simply looked at her. Haruka fell to the ground convulsing and twitching, in a disturbing mirror of Minako's actions weeks before. Mordaki once again returned his gaze to Usagi.  
  
"It would behove you to control your servitors. While I may accept a small amount of censure and grief from you, I will not tolerate disrespect from a mortal." He spoke with fierceness.  
  
"I don't understand." Usagi said. "Why would you treat me differently, then?"  
  
Mordaki shook his head in sadness. "You truly don't even know do you. I wonder. Should I be the one to tell you, or should I leave it to the little blue one over there?"  
  
"Tell me what?" Usagi asked a feverish desperateness in her eyes.  
  
"That you're like him, sort of." Mercury said.  
  
The other Senshi's heads snapped around at whiplash speeds and their combined glares made Mercury shrink back.  
  
"And just when were you planning on sharing this vital information with us Mercury?" Mars spoke crisply.  
  
"I was planning on telling Moon as soon as I made some sense of it." Mercury returned somewhat hotly, her earlier embarrassment forgotten in her anger at being talked down to.  
  
"Please release Uranus." A voice begged softly from behind Sailor Moon.  
  
"Oh all right." Mordaki said and with absolutely no visible action from him, Haruka ceased her thrashing and wailing. Venus and Neptune were at her side in an instant. Venus wore a look of sympathy and understanding. She now had some idea of what happened to her at school.  
  
"Is there anything I can say to change your mind about hurting everyone like you are? I know the world needs help, but you can't fix things by making people suffer. You have to forgive them, help them to understand. Please." Usagi pleaded. "Don't hurt them just for trying to make their lives better, they don't remember anymore how to do it any other way. Please just give them a chance."  
  
"Why should I allow this world to suffer anymore for their selfishness and greed? Do you really believe that your words can turn them from their abuse? Or would you have me sit back and allow these mortals to slay my home?" Mordaki replied.  
  
"All I can do, is ask you to give them time to change. If you just help them."  
  
"No. They have had more than ample time. After we got rid of all the radioactive electricity plants, they began to build new ones. The fools actually intend to replace those nightmares." Mordaki said in sadness. "If they are so set in their ways as to not see the simple solution to their power needs, and would endanger everything in their stubbornness, then they deserve no consideration."  
  
"If there is no other way, then I must stop you by force." Usagi said sadly.  
  
An immense golden aura snapped into existence around Mordaki in an instant, and he lifted off the ground several metres. His eyes burned with a platinum radiance. A long amber crystalline staff materialized in his off hand. Mordaki looked more ready to do battle then they had ever seen him. "Well then little cousin. Come on then, show me the error of my ways." He said with a sarcastic grin on his face.  
  
"Wait!" Usagi yelled. "Give me some time to prepare. We both know you would win easily right now. Just give me a month, just a month to get ready. Then we will challenge you."  
  
"Very good little one." Mordaki said as he reined in his power and settled once again to the ground. "Your terms are accepted, save on one point. I will hold off my reparations for a month, only if you agree not to attempt to disturb me in that time. I make an oath to you that I will take no action that causes any mortal harm until after our battle, unless the mortal in question attacks me or someone or something that cannot defend itself. Do we have an agreement?"  
  
"Yes, we do." Usagi responded.  
  
"I expect that your agreement also binds your mortal servants correct?" He stated more than asked.  
  
"I won't let my friends bother you either, as long as you hold up your end of the deal." She replied.  
  
"Neither I nor Neko will break this vow. I have less than no say however on what Jander or Mordred may do. Of course last time I checked on Jander, he was busy exercising his powers on the people of, umm Kinmoku? Was it? I'm not entirely positive what the native populace calls it, I do remember they're a people with some limited shape shifting power, Mostly gender changing if I remember right." He said with a shrug. "Mordred still hasn't bothered to do anything, thank Dallak. That man has very little in the way of a sense of humour. Of course, being the avatar of Entropy, basically a living reset switch for the universe has to eat at guy over the eons. If he does do anything I sure as hell am not getting in his way. He put Lor down so hard once that Lor still won't return to that time. He says even being within a few years of then feels like being turned slowly inside out. And then there's Lor, I seriously doubt he'll bother with hurting any mortals, From what I've felt of his magic in the area, I'd say he's been a bit too busy tormenting the little Time Guardian over there."  
  
Setsuna stared hard at Mordaki when he finished. The other Senshi alternated between looking at her and gawking at the fact that Usagi had once again managed to talk an enemy down with pure undiluted niceness.  
  
"I guess we'll all be on our way then, oh but one thing. I'd apologize to Neko were I in your position Jupiter. He was here to blow off some steam from a bad day, and one of the worst cases of sexual frustration ever known, and you go and kick him in a very sensitive place. You all are very lucky he remembered that his Cataclysm spell would have wiped out everything for about 20 kilometres around. There are what twelve or thirteen million people within that radius? That could have been a lot worse if he wouldn't have teleported out over the ocean. Oh and one thing to remember, just because we haven't bothered wasting the energy to penetrate the Glamour that protects your identity, doesn't mean we can't. Keep that in mind."  
  
With that Mordaki teleported away, leaving the assembled Senshi standing in contemplation of their fate. In one month they would do battle with the Primarchs, and they had no idea how they were supposed to win.  
  
********** Today was going to go down in the big book of worthless, Konjou thought. His morning couldn't possibly have gone any worse. Tenjin was pissed at him with a capital p, and he knew he deserved it. No matter how bad off Makoto left him, he had no right to go off that bad. One more hour until lunch, he thought as he mindlessly folded his sociology homework into the tiniest possible square without tearing it. He had to talk to Makoto. He wanted to see her again, despite the way their last get together had ended. Makoto needed to be reassured that he wasn't angry, and in fact wanted to get together again. Of course, he thought, he intended to continue where he left off with her as soon as he could convince her that it was a good idea, but he was nearly positive she already knew that.  
  
"No, please don't!" a voice called so softly he could barely hear it.  
  
"Shut up!" another voice said. Konjou was on his feet in an instant.  
  
"Dude this might not be a good idea. I mean sure nobody likes her, but she does hang around that Haruka guy sometimes." A third voice said.  
  
"Quit whining and gag her with something before someone hears her, or you don't get a turn." The second voice snarled a few seconds later. Konjou ignored the sputtering protests of his Sensei and dashed out of the room following the nearly inaudible voices.  
  
"Damn, she's hot for a freshman right Dai?" Yet another voice chuckled at the sounds of muffled whimpering and tearing fabric.  
  
That did it, Konjou ran quickly down the hall to the source of the noise, the boys bathroom on this floor. The door was locked but proved to be less than no barrier. Konjou strode in through the broken door. The looks of shock on the faces of the four boys in the room almost but not quite brought an evil smirk to his face. His reason for not smiling was the room's fifth occupant. A young girl, no more than fourteen or fifteen was held against the far wall by two of the boys, another held a knife that he had been using to cut her clothing off with, the last boy stood next to the torn open door, his face a mask of terror. The girl had slightly less than shoulder length black hair, and the most amazing lavender eyes. She was petite and pretty, and obviously here against her will.  
  
"Who the fuck are you?" the boy with the knife asked as he stepped closer to the girl. The boy by the door began to inch slowly around Konjou to get behind him. The girl began again to struggle in her captors arms, afraid that this boy was here to join in their assault on her.  
  
Konjou had simply seen enough. He had thought his day couldn't have gotten any worse, he was wrong, dreadfully so. His control at the absolute limit, he looked directly at the knife wielder. "I'm going to be very very nice to you and tell you just once to let her go and get out of here."  
  
"Look asshole you want a piece of her you wait in line, you mess with us and they won't find all of you. So just close the door and wait your turn."  
  
If Dai could have studied the problem for a few thousand years he still couldn't have found a worse thing to say. Konjou completely lost control. "Dahlah!" he growled as he spun and punched the boy attempting to sneak up behind him. Dai gasped once and fell to the floor, his knife clattering at the girl's feet.  
  
Jin knew what Dai wanted, he just had to sneak up behind this guy and take him out. It shouldn't have been that hard, but one instant he was talking to Dai, and the next his fist connected with Jin's chest hard enough to powder Jin's sternum. Jin flew into the partially closed door, his impact ripped it off its hinges allowing both Jin and the door to land in the hallway. In less time than it took to blink two of the four assailants were completely out of action.  
  
Konjou advanced toward the boys still holding the now terrified girl, his expression promising them pain or worse. His hands blurred forward and tore her from their grasp, in the same motion his body spun around bringing her out of their sight and allowing him to crescent kick the larger of the two. He flew sideways under the force of the blow obviously unconscious already, and smashed into the line of urinals, shattering the porcelain on two of them, before halting in a pool of rapidly expanding blood. The last boy had seen more than enough, he had absolutely no desire to fight this guy. He ran like a frightened bunny toward the door, but long before he got there Konjou halted his flight with a powerful backhand to the face. The sounds of breaking bones assured Konjou the boy would not be going anywhere.  
  
"Are you ok?" Konjou asked the girl.  
  
"I'm., I'm." and she burst into tears. Konjou knew she was likely in shock. What she had almost happened to her was more than enough to accomplish that alone, not even including his reaction. He looked around at the devastation and sighed, oh yea, Tenjin was gonna be unhappy again.  
  
"Look, I can hear people coming, so why don't you wear my jacket for now ok?" He asked her in a patient tone. The girl took the proffered jacket and used it to cover her torn open fuku. Seconds later a voice could be heard from the hallway.  
  
"Kami-sama, what in the hell happened here."  
  
"Someone get the nurse, I don't think that kid's going to make it." Another voice answered.  
  
Three teachers dashed in through the missing door, and saw even more carnage. A woman Konjou recognised as the English teacher dashed to a stall and was ill. The two male teachers took note of the battleground and the shreds of fuku littering the ground near the fallen knife wielder and instantly came to the obvious conclusion.  
  
"Let go of the girl!" one of the teachers yelled at Konjou.  
  
"He didn't hurt me." The girl responded in a totally emotionless voice.  
  
"You don't have to protect him, we won't let him hurt you." The other teacher said glaring daggers at Konjou.  
  
"He protected me from them." She said, her voice hovering just slightly above the temperature of liquid helium. She turned and faced Konjou, her pretty eyes still filled with tears. "Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."  
  
"You're very much welcome little one." He said standing proudly at her words.  
  
"Oh my!" a female voice said from outside. "He's alive, at least. The ambulances will be here shortly." With that a pretty brunette wearing a white lab style coat came in to the bathroom. "Oh this certainly looks like there was trouble." She said in an unbelievably cheerful voice.  
  
She bent over and examined the boy closest to the door. "Well, I'd say he needs a hospital, and Taikutsu-sensei, please pull that boy out of the urinal before he drowns." The nurse then checked on Dai. "Well at least this one won't need any surgery, that's always good."  
  
"Yea, he looks ok, the rest of them look like they went through a meat grinder." The other male teacher said.  
  
"Oh no, he's anything but ok." She replied still cheerful. "I'm afraid he's dead, oh and would you please go down and have Meiou-san call Ten'ou-san and Keiou-san."  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I asked if you would go down and have Meiou-san get Hotaru-chan's guardians here, she looks like she could use their company." She smiled at Hotaru as she finished.  
  
"He's dead?" the man screamed at the nurse.  
  
"Oh that, well he's dead. It tends to happen when someone's heart stops."  
  
Hotaru flatly refused to leave Konjou's side, and a few short minutes later Haruka and Michiru marched into the amazingly occupied bathroom, their every movement screaming a readiness to kill someone for hurting their 'daughter'. Once they got in Haruka stomped over to Konjou, stopping centimetres from him. Haruka's look promised years of agony before the relief of death.  
  
"He isn't the one that tried to hurt me." Hotaru spoke softly. Haruka's attitude did an instant about face as Hotaru continued, "He's the one that stopped them." The look Haruka shot Konjou carried a grudging respect and heartfelt thanks.  
  
"Thank you." Michiru said as she stepped up and took Hotaru into her arms. Michiru's face was wet with tears, both of fear and gratitude. "You're Makoto's friend are you not?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Well children, the ambulances are here, time to send all the injured, and potentially injured, to the hospital." The nurse interrupted with a smile.  
  
As the paramedics took the fallen boys out on stretchers, the nurse led Michiru and Hotaru out. Haruka grabbed Konjou by the arm as he turned to follow. "Thanks, I don't know why you helped her out, but I'm glad you did. I owe you one."  
  
"Don't worry about it Ten'ou-san these guys needed a beating worse than anyone I've met in a very long time."  
  
"Yea," she said looking at the devastation, "You really tore this place up didn't you?"  
  
"They made me angry, people really shouldn't do that. It's always sickening to me when I see people trying to take someone else's freedom to choose away. Rape is just about the ultimate in personal crimes. The only thing I'm sorry about is a few of them might live." With that Konjou walked out the door.  
  
Haruka shivered when he left, she had made some life or death decisions as Sailor Uranus, and she agreed that the guys that attacked Hotaru deserved death, but the cold way he said he was sorry about their survival frightened her. He was colder than Sailor Pluto and before today she would have sworn that was impossible.  
  
******** Lunch was a subdued event that afternoon, Konjou was still in the office with several police officers, and Tenjin was livid. The Senshi had all gathered out by Usagi's favourite tree and discussed the day's events.  
  
"So Makoto, what do you know about this Konjou guy anyway?" Haruka asked her as she ate.  
  
"He's very sweet. I mean he did something for me I didn't think any boy could do." She broke off as Haruka smirked at her.  
  
"So, Konjou's the one that gave you the Hickey huh?" Haruka teased.  
  
"Yes,... er No err, that's not what I meant." She tried to explain. "Let's just say I let things go way too far, and he still stopped when I asked, and believe me, most boys wouldn't have at that point." Haruka and Usagi nodded sagely, and giggled when they noticed each other.  
  
"Ok, just for future reference, Konjou is dangerous if he gets angry. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad as hell he was there to stop them, but damn he was brutal. From what I saw at least two of them are gonna need serious reconstructive surgery." Haruka said.  
  
"That's nothing." Rei spoke up. "I heard from a girl in my class who's the health room assistant that one of the guys was dead. I mean really dead, and he didn't have a mark on him. It was like he got scared to death or something." Makoto suddenly didn't feel like eating.  
  
"There is something I should bring to your attention, but I don't know what, if anything, it means." Ami interrupted. "I was in class with Konjou when he suddenly stood up and rushed out the door. He must have heard or sensed that Hotaru was in trouble."  
  
"Well she was screaming." Mina said.  
  
"I was much closer to the bathroom than Konjou was, I didn't hear anything at all. Besides that's not what is really strange. At about the time Hotaru was attacked my computer registered a massive pulse of magic, type unknown. Also the force needed to open that door would have been unbelievable. That's a reinforced steel fire door, it was locked both at the handle and at the dead bolt, it would have required tonnes of force to tear it open, and almost as much to knock it off its hinges afterwards. I have a very difficult time even imagining a human doing that." She finished.  
  
"What about people that lift cars off their babies and things like that." Usagi proposed.  
  
"You mean an adrenalin rush?" at Usagi's nod Ami continued. "While that is a possibility, I'd rate it as fairly low. People that do that usually have damage to themselves afterwards, according to what I've been able to learn, Konjou is in perfect health."  
  
"Yea, he's just fine." Haruka answered. "He didn't even look like they had a chance to touch him, and believe me there might be more than one death from this. The guy that went through the door didn't look like he was gonna make it. So are you saying something is up with Konjou, Ami?"  
  
"I'm saying that I don't know. There's something strange about him, and by extension Tenjin."  
  
"Yea, hey where is Tenjin anyway. I'd like to hear what he has to say about Konjou." Makoto said.  
  
"Oh I asked him if it was ok if he would mind eating somewhere else today, I didn't think you all would want him around today just in case we discussed secret stuff." Mina answered somewhat distracted.  
  
"Hey, Mina?" Haruka asked. "Could you ask him to come over her and talk to us about this? I'd like to hear from him too."  
  
"Sure, he's just over on the steps."  
  
Mina stood up and practically bounced over to where Tenjin sat. As she approached she heard Tenjin mumbling to himself, at least it sounded a little like mumbling. "Eaderu notas, kisal mithrain."  
  
"Hi Tenjin!" She said loud enough to cover his words, and the worry the sound of it created in her.  
  
"Huh!... Oh, hi Mina," Tenjin said. "Wow, you snuck up on me there. Sorry, I was kinda lost in thought about Konjou." He said scratching the back of his head cutely in embarrassment. "I hope you didn't hear me cussing at those morons that tried to hurt your friend."  
  
"Heh heh, no, I didn't hear anything, nope nothing at all like you speaking some creepy sounding language." Mina finished.  
  
Tenjin looked at Mina strangely and shook his head. "Okaayy. so are you and your friends done ridiculing all males for what those losers tried to do?"  
  
"Oh we weren't insulting all guys just any guy that doesn't understand what 'no' means. Also, my friend Haruka, Hotaru's guardian, wants to talk to you if you'll do it."  
  
"Sure, let's go." Mina sighed happily as Tenjin took her hand and began to walk towards where her friends were sitting. Mina blushed as she remembered where his hand had been less than a full day ago. She still couldn't believe how forward she had been, but was also somewhat glad. Mina knew what was going to happen in a month. No matter how well Ami planed, or how much Usagi cared, Mina knew the Primarchs were going to kill them. After seeing what Mordaki did to Haruka with a look, Mina realised what happened to her. Somehow, without knowing who or where she was, he had done the same thing to her from the Kami only knew what distance. If he could do that any time he wanted then there was no way to fight him. She was going to die, but she was going to live first. Taking a hold of Tenjin's arm tighter Mina leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, yes it was very good that she had been so forward, it would come in handy very soon.  
  
Mina and Tenjin arrived at the tree the others were sitting at, Tenjin sat down and surprisingly Mina plopped down in his lap. Haruka raised her eyebrow at Mina's forwardness and Rei looked like she tried to swallow her tongue, Tenjin on the other hand reacted better than expected. After a short moment of shock, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pretended there was nothing odd about her choice of seats.  
  
"So," Tenjin began once everyone had adjusted to Mina's actions, "you wanted to talk to me?" He asked.  
  
"Yea," said Haruka. "I just wanted to ask you about Konjou."  
  
"What about him?"  
  
"How did he know Hotaru needed help?"  
  
"I don't know. I haven't talked to him since he left the class."  
  
"Have you known him a long time?"  
  
"Longer than I can ever explain. We've been friends ever since we were born."  
  
"How did he get through that door then, I mean I know he looks strong, but that was one tough door."  
  
"Well, to be honest Konjou is a good deal stronger than he looks. He's absolutely fanatical about staying in shape." Tenjin actually smiled when he said that, it wasn't a nice smile. It was more like an 'I know something you don't' smile.  
  
"Ok Where did he learn Kendo, he took those guys down and didn't even look like he got hit."  
  
"Oh he didn't get hit, there's no way he's gotten that sloppy. Back when we were kids our cousin, Hikage, taught us how to defend ourselves physically, for those times we couldn't talk our way out of a fight. Believe me we learned everything we could."  
  
"Wow," Makoto interjected, "What ranking is Hikage?"  
  
"Well, I doubt he actually ever bothered getting ranked, but if I had to guess, I'd call him a grand master. I have never, ever seen anyone even come close to defeating him. Most people couldn't even touch him, and believe you me I've seen some tough customers try to take him down. My other cousin Koden and has been trying to get the best of him for a long long time. Koden lost it back when we were younger and Hikage took him down hard. I wasn't sure Koden would live through it. Lets just say if there is one person in the world I don't want mad at me its Kisei Hikage."  
  
"You know it's kind of strange, I hear you talk about your cousins all the time but you never mention any other family." Mina said suddenly.  
  
"Oh, well there's only the five of us. Our parents have been gone a long time, and none of us had any siblings."  
  
"Oh, that's so sad." Usagi said, her eyes filling with tears for the boy's obvious loneliness. "My Mamo-chan is an orphan too, you should get together and talk about it. You'll feel much better."  
  
Makoto turned her head so no one would see the tears in her eyes. She knew all about what it was like to lose one's family. It still struck her hard sometimes when she thought about it. Konjou and she had even more in common than she had admitted before.  
  
"Your family has some strange names." Ami commented.  
  
"Like 'friend of water' isn't?" Tenjin said with a smile. Ami winced slightly and smiled back, that point was his.  
  
"Back to the martial arts questions," Haruka said. "Are you any good?"  
  
"I can hold my own against anyone I've ever met besides Hikage. My last cousin Zekkou used to challenge me pretty often. That was always exciting."  
  
"How about we spar after school, I'd like to see you guys' style in action." Haruka asked. Makoto seconded it instantly.  
  
"Ok, as long as I get Mina here as my cheerleader, and I don't have to go and post bail for Konjou." Mina blushed and whispered something into Tenjin's ear that had him blushing. The rest of the girls laughed at his expression. Tenjin was finally finishing his lunch when a loud voice called his name.  
  
"Gogyou-san." The voice of the secretary came through the buildings external speakers. "Please report to the guidance office immediately."  
  
The girls shared a look as soon as Tenjin left, if he was headed to the guidance office then Setsuna wanted him for some reason. That information did not sit well upon Mina. "I wonder what Setsuna wants with him?"  
  
"I don't know." Ami responded. It was true she didn't know, but she had her suspicions. If she said anything Haruka would most probably try something, as would Rei. Minako and Makoto would feel betrayed, and without absolute proof, something she couldn't get without exposing herself as Sailor Mercury, they would in all likelihood not believe her. Ami felt like crying, she needed time, and that was the one thing she didn't have. One month was hardly anything when her friends were depending on her to find some way to equalize the horrific difference in power between the Senshi and the Primarchs.  
  
******** School ended without anyone seeing Konjou or Tenjin again. Mina was quite upset, Tenjin had promised her that he would be here after school and he was missing. Makoto, Haruka, Rei, and even Ami were waiting with her. Mina smiled to herself when she thought about the upcoming sparing match, sure Tenjin was going to lose, but all that meant was she would be able to use it as an excuse to comfort him. No matter how good Tenjin was, there was simply no way he could take Haruka in hand to hand combat. She was just too fast, and too strong.  
  
After another five minutes Haruka snorted. "Well Mina, it looks like your boyfriend is afraid to get his butt whooped." She snickered.  
  
"Remember he said he might not be able to show up. Give him a little more time. He'll be here he promised to take me out after the match."  
  
Haruka laughed, "If he's in any condition to take you anywhere when were done."  
  
"If you feel that way maybe we should begin." Tenjin said from right behind Haruka.  
  
Haruka jumped and spun around in startlement at the sound of his voice. When she landed she took note of Mina's smirk and Konjou's knowing smile. Ami had for some reason taken out the Mercury computer while Makoto and Rei intently watched them.  
  
"So do you know somewhere we can do this privately or would you rather we just start right here?" Haruka asked. Tenjin smiled as he thought about it for a second.  
  
"Well Konjou and I have a practice room in our apartment, but I don't know if you all would feel comfortable being in a guy's house you hardly know."  
  
"Hey I'm all for it." Makoto said as she put her hand on Konjou's arm. Rei looked like she wanted to object, but a look from Ami of all people caused her to keep silent. Mina simply wrapped her arms around Tenjin's waist and hugged him tightly.  
  
"You remember where Mamoru lives right girls?" Mina answered.  
  
"Yes." The girls replied in a sarcastic chorus.  
  
"Well they live in the penthouse of the same apartment."  
  
Rei was momentarily taken aback, a penthouse apartment in the middle of Tokyo was hideously expensive. Their trust funds must be enormous for their guardian to allow them to live there. "Wow." Was all she managed to say.  
  
Mina and Makoto decided to walk over to the apartment with Tenjin and Konjou, while Ami and Rei went with Haruka back to her house. When they arrived they found Michiru and Hotaru already there. Haruka quickly swept them up into a hug.  
  
"How are you Hotaru-chan?" Haruka whispered into her ear as the hug continued.  
  
"I'm ok Haruka-papa. They never even touched me really. Konjou-san saved me."  
  
"That's good," she whispered tears in her eyes. "That's very good." Haruka held her daughter for a few more moments, then with reluctance stepped away. "How would you two like to join the rest of the girls and I in going over to Konjou and Tenjin's apartment?"  
  
"Can we really?" Hotaru asked beaming. Michiru's smile at Haruka was answer enough, and ignoring the look of hero worship on Hotaru's face, Haruka nodded in assent.  
  
"That's right, I challenged Tenjin to a martial arts match. I want to know how good he is. He told us at lunch that he and Konjou are pretty much equals."  
  
"Haruka-papa, if he's as good as Konjou-san I wouldn't challenge him if I were you." Hotaru's voice was filled with warning. "Konjou-san is too good to beat without being in Senshi form."  
  
Haruka smirked, it was obvious that Hotaru-chan had a bit of a crush on her saviour, and as insulting as it was for her to doubt Haruka's abilities it was nice to see her behaving like a normal teenage girl. "Don't worry Hotaru-chan, it's just a little sparing, I won't hurt Konjou's cousin."  
  
"It's not Tenjin I'm worried about." Hotaru whispered so softly that no one but her heard it.  
  
"If you believe it would be all right I would like to go as well." Setsuna said from behind the group. Rei jumped at the unexpected interruption causing Hotaru to giggle slightly.  
  
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind Setsuna. They invited all the rest of us, we'll just tell them the truth, your one of Hotaru's guardians and wanted to talk to the boy that helped her." Ami said.  
  
"Are you certain they wouldn't mind anata?" Michiru asked.  
  
"Yea, I'm sure." Haruka responded. "You know it's a good thing you girls are so skinny, otherwise there would be no way to squeeze you all in my car."  
  
"I'll just meet you at their apartment building." Setsuna said as she disappeared.  
  
"I hate it when she does that." Rei said as the girls left the house.  
  
Mina enjoyed the fifteen minute walk to the apartment. Despite the heat of the afternoon the walk was pleasant. It was obvious that Makoto was in agreement with her on their chances of survival, and had come to the same conclusion. Enjoy what time remained. The walk was filled with the sounds of idle chatter and much affection. Mina kept her arm around Tenjin the entire time, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. She was almost sad to see the apartment as it meant that she would have to let go soon. Just before they stepped onto the buildings grounds Mina pulled Tenjin into a fierce embrace.  
  
"No matter how you do I'll be proud of you." She said, and then kissed him softly. Her pulse began to hammer as he deepened the kiss, the impropriety of their actions totally lost on her kiss drugged mind. The sound of squealing tires didn't penetrate the bubble of contentment that encompassed them, it was Haruka's whistling and cat-calls that finally did the job.  
  
"Wow." Haruka said. "That was so hot it made me want a cold shower. Should we come back later?" She asked with a grin.  
  
Mina was at a loss for words, yes she knew what she was doing, but having her friends actually see it reminded her too much of Makoto walking in on her yesterday. Tenjin suffered from no such difficulty.  
  
"Nahh, She and I can always pick up where we left off after I kick your butt." His grin was positively evil.  
  
Haruka's answering smile was equally unpleasant as she responded to the verbal jab. "Oh it's on now little boy." Despite their appearances, Haruka and Tenjin looked forward to the friendly match. For Haruka not only would she get a decent workout, but when she beat Tenjin, the supposed equal of Konjou, she would once again become the best in her daughter's eyes. For Tenjin it was a chance to check on something that had been troubling him, and to look good in front of Mina. The kiss they had just shared had his blood pumping.  
  
"I hope you do not mind a few more of us coming along to watch do you Tenjin-san?" Michiru asked as she stepped out of the car.  
  
"Nahh," Konjou answered for him. "He's a show-off and loves to have an audience." The girls pretended they didn't see the rude gesture Tenjin sent Konjou as the trudged inside. They were met at the staircase by a beautiful teal haired woman the boys recognised as Meiou-san the school guidance councillor.  
  
"Greetings gentlemen." She spoke oh so very formally. "Haruka told our ward and I that you were planning on sparing with her." She said looking at the two boys. "Would you mind overmuch if I also observed, I would also like to have the chance to talk further with you about what happened today." The last part was directed solely at Konjou.  
  
"Yea sure, the more the merrier," he said off handedly as he began the long walk up the stairs to the penthouse. The walk continued with small talk that almost pushed away the oppressive heat of the enclosed stairway.  
  
"Hey minna, do you think we should ask Usagi and Mamoru if they want to watch." Makoto asked as the arrived on the fourteenth floor.  
  
"Yea, that's a great idea Makoto." Mina and Rei agreed so the group left the stairs and headed towards Mamoru's apartment door. It was unnecessary to knock. Usagi and Mamoru weren't actually in the apartment.  
  
Usagi and Mamoru were in the open doorway to his apartment. She leaned back, her head and shoulders on the frame, her hands tangled in Mamoru's hair. Her shirt was pushed up above her belly button and Mamoru's hands were hidden under her top. Her eyes were closed and little gasps of pleasure escaped her throat as Mamoru caressed her breasts. His mouth feasted on her neck, the wet sounds of kissing carrying as far away as the group. Her legs were wrapped around him, her hips pressing against his. Only their clothing kept the scene from being completely pornographic. Setsuna cleared her throat loudly, the sound easily cut through the passion filled minds of the young lovers.  
  
Usagi yelped in pain as Mamoru yanked his hands out from under her top quickly enough to give her friction burns. She turned crimson from embarrassment as she took in the assembled group and the picture she and Mamoru must have made. When they were done righting their clothing Usagi finally spoke, her mortification and fading desire making her voice thick.  
  
"S.Setsuna, minna, what a surprise to see you." She stuttered.  
  
"We could see for ourselves you didn't expect company." Makoto said with a teasing grin.  
  
"What do you want?" Mamoru nearly growled. It was obvious he was highly irritated by the interruption. A look of understanding and apology passed between the three males.  
  
"The girls here wanted to invite you to watch Tenjin kick the snot out of Haruka." Konjou said tactlessly. Mamoru looked at Konjou then Tenjin in surprise, then consideration.  
  
"You want to put a wager on that outcome?" Mamoru asked. Haruka broke into a smile. Not only was she going to get to redeem herself in from of Hotaru, but Usagi and Mamoru were obviously going to be there as well, and she loved looking good in front of her princess.  
  
"Mamoru-san," Tenjin began. "Trust me that you don't want to bet on this. You know nothing about me."  
  
"Don't worry about it Tenjin-san." Mamoru said, his voice raised a slight question at Tenjin's name. Tenjin's slight nod made it clear that his use of it was acceptable. "I know Haruka well enough to be sure of the outcome."  
  
"But Mamo-chan!" Usagi whined, and then whispered something in his ear.  
  
"That's ok Usako," he said, "this won't take long, and I'll make a deal with you." Mamoru whispered something to Usagi that had her widening her eyes in shock. After a moment her face nearly split in an ear to ear grin.  
  
"Please don't take this personally Haruka." Usagi said to the older girl. "Tenjin, kick her butt."  
  
"Usagi!" Mamoru said as the group once again headed towards the stairs, Usagi giggling the entire way.  
  
Konjou opened the door and led the large group of guests into the apartment. Oohs and Aahs of appreciation rang out as the guests dispersed to examine the decor. Michiru was quite surprised and pleased to see one of her own paintings, a work titled 'Silver Shadows' showing the silhouettes of the Senshi mostly obscured by fog, the Moon Palace distant in the background, stars almost seeming to twinkle while one watched.  
  
She was even more appreciative of some of the other artwork, she would have to ask the boys who the artist was. She dearly loved the painting of the fanciful unicorn horned bunnies, and the silver dragon curled protectively around a nest of eggs was almost as gorgeous. In the corner of the room was a glass front cabinet that held various small musical instruments. Her violin 'The Marine Cathedral' was a beautiful instrument, several of these looked to be in its class. A hammered dulcimer sat proudly on the highest shelf, its mallets stored in a velvet lined case next to it. Also in the cabinet was a very small and highly expensive looking harp. Though she was not sure, it looked to be plated entirely in silver. Its style was very old, probably early Greek. If she was correct in her assumptions that instrument was worth a fortune.  
  
"Done drooling koishii?" Haruka asked as she put her arm around Michiru.  
  
"Hai, the boys have wonderful taste," Michiru sad.  
  
Haruka looked at Konjou noting the look he gave Makoto as she laughed with her friends. His arm held her close, his eyes soft and full of wonder. "Oh yes, they most definitely have good taste."  
  
Haruka looked around the room at her friends and had to blink away tears that threatened to come. They looked happy despite how the day had gone. Hotaru was ok now, but the attack on her however terrible was not what weighed most heavily on Haruka. They only had a month to get ready, and she wasn't sure that was enough time. The girls deserved every scrap of happiness they could find. Haruka leaned over and kissed Michiru softly.  
  
"I love you." She whispered.  
  
"I love you too Ruka-chan." Michiru said equally quietly. She could easily sense what Haruka was feeling, and agreed completely.  
  
"Well children are we about ready?" Tenjin asked as he stepped out of the bathroom. He was dressed in a gi, his lithe form displayed wonderfully by it. Rei swallowed a lump in her throat, he may be a hentai, she thought, but he was a gorgeous hentai. She had to consciously remember that he was Mina's to keep herself from reaching out to touch his hair. It couldn't possibly be as soft as it looked, she thought to herself before she become conscious of just exactly who she was thinking about. She pulled her hand back in horror when she realised she had lifted it slightly towards him. No one seemed to have noticed her actions thankfully so she forced a frown onto her face and followed the group down the hall, telling herself the entire time that she was not watching Tenjin's butt, she was just looking down the hallway and he happened to be in the way.  
  
Setsuna shook her head sadly when Rei turned to follow the rest of the group. She was fighting a loosing battle with herself. It had been building for weeks now. Despite her loud and numerous proclamations of dislike, once again Rei was attracted to someone that belonged to one of her best friends, Setsuna hoped for her sake that she grew out of it before Mina noticed. Usagi was far more forgiving than the self proclaimed Senshi of Love.  
  
Ami once again peeked into her school bag where the Mercury computer was on and in active scan mode. She needed evidence, quickly before Mina or Makoto got any deeper involved with the boys. Hopefully this little match would give her what she needed, if not she wasn't sure what she would do. Maybe Setsuna could be of assistance.  
  
Hotaru skipped forward to Konjou's side and walked along next to him. He was deeply involved in conversation with Makoto her head resting against his shoulder. It hurt a little to know that Konjou was too old for her. Makoto was very lucky to have such a wonderful sweet and almost perfect boy like him. She was sure that even if he knew what she was, he would still be nice to her. He wouldn't be afraid of her, she just knew it. Looking up at him with deep affection Hotaru wished there was a boy like him out there for her.  
  
Makoto felt wonderful, Konjou had an arm around her, her head rested against his shoulder and a tangible aura of contentment wrapped around them. Ok sure he had hurt three boys badly today, and one boy seemed to have died of fright, but the boys he hurt were the type of people that made her want to change into Senshi form and beat to death herself. No matter how bad he hurt them it was justified. The fact that he was saving Hotaru- chan in the process simply made his actions even more justified. She had plans now, and even if by some miracle she did live through the upcoming challenge, she would still be happy about the decision she had come to. Of all the boys she had ever met Konjou was the most wonderful. She wanted him to be the man to take her virginity. She only had to find the perfect moment, in less than a month.  
  
She held Tenjin close, her body in contact with his from hip to shoulder. Their legs occasionally brushed as they walked down the hall towards the practice room. It wasn't more than fifty feet, though the Penthouse took up the entire floor of the building. Mina was glad for the chance to hold onto him. He looked at her, a smile that reached deep into his eyes and she felt her heart flutter. He is so beautiful, she thought. They stepped through the sliding door into the practice room. It was larger than Mina would have thought. Before anyone else had a chance to enter Tenjin leaned over and gave her a brief but deep kiss. Mina's eyes glazed as she felt her body react predictably to it.  
  
"Win and I'll give you a prize." She said and a tremor ran through him. Haruka was in deep trouble. It no longer mattered to Tenjin that he had chewed Konjou up one side and down the other for going overboard and showing the school a part of what he could do. His lecture about the flagrant breach of their cover was forgotten. Mina had offered to reward him if he won. Haruka was going to get her ass kicked, badly.  
  
" .and I'll give you a prize." Mina said in a whisper to Tenjin. Konjou felt sorry for Haruka, given the look on Tenjin's face and his body language things were about to get ugly. On a positive note more than likely he would get the opportunity to return that chewing out Tenjin had given him earlier today. It almost made up for the fact the room was going to take some damage, again. Makoto cuddled a little closer into him. He gave her a little squeeze to show acknowledgement and stepped to the back of the room leading the rest of the group to relative safety off the tatami mats.  
  
He followed Makoto and her new boyfriend, thank the Kami he didn't have to hear how every boy on earth reminded her of her old sempai now, into a full dojo built into the Penthouse apartment. He had looked at this apartment when he first though about moving into the Nobara building. Its price kept him from actually renting it though. It was six times the size of his apartment, and in Japan you pay dearly for every square millimetre of space. Usagi stepped away from him once everyone was in the room and stood between the combatants.  
  
"Remember minna we want a nice clean match, no cheating." Her smile was such that no one would ever want to disappoint her. Her sweetness had literally stopped tyrants from trying to take over the world, it was guaranteed to induce good behaviour in her friends. "I'm counting on you to be my champion and defend my honour Tenjin-chan, don't let me down." Mamoru felt a bit jealous at her words. He was her champion, not some upstart kid, but he grinned when he remembered what he stood to win should her 'champion' fail her. He was totally confident in Haruka's ability to earn him the most intimate kiss possible from Usagi. She didn't do it often which perversely made him crave it more than he would have otherwise.  
  
"Take him down Haruka." Mamoru called out. Usagi smiled at it. Mamoru loved it when she took him into her mouth. It was a little icky, but she would do just about anything for the man she loved. His bet was simple, if Tenjin lost Usagi would give Mamoru what he wanted, but would never make a fuss about. If he won Mamoru would treat her to her dream date. Mamoru was the best possible boyfriend in the world, but he was still a little leery about their public appearance. Besides, she thought, her smile slipping a bit towards the hentai, part of her dream date included Mamo-chan making sure she wouldn't have enough strength to walk to the kitchen let alone his car to go home.  
  
"Ready, Go!" Usagi called out as she stepped off the mats.  
  
Haruka immediately struck forward in the attack, her right hand leading the attack. The punch was a feign, and when Tenjin blocked it, the kick she had hidden with her obvious attack snapped up in an attempt to hit him in the face. His head was nowhere near the intended attack. While her leg was in the air Tenjin ducked under it to end up at her side. A quick short distance palm strike hit her just above the floating rib, partially knocking the wind out of her. He quickly stepped back to avoid the elbow she tossed at him as she stepped away to open the distance. He was too fast for her to allow him inside her guard, and her kicks had always been her best weapon in hand to hand combat.  
  
He dodged behind another roundhouse kick, quickly stepping inside her guard to catch her pivot foot in a sweep. Haruka leapt with the sweep actually doing a backflip instead of ending up on the ground. Tenjin mentally applauded her agility. His brief distraction allowed her time not only to regain her stance, but to actually strike back. Her speed was almost as great as his and the jab caught him completely off guard. Her fist caught him just under the chin lifting his head back with the force of the blow. Haruka shook her hand in pain from the impact.  
  
Her hand hurt like hell. Tenjin definitely drank his milk as a child, his jaw was harder than a rock. She jumped back to avoid the knife hand counter attack, and struck out again with a kick in the wake of it. He grabbed her foot in mid flight and kicked out hard into the back of her standing leg's knee. Her leg buckled under the impact dropping her to the ground. She rolled with the fall bringing the injured leg around in a circle tearing free from his hold and forcing him to step back to avoid her arcing foot.  
  
She was much better than he had anticipated. She wasn't strong enough to hurt him in the least but her skill and speed were quite impressive. Knowing that his holding back against her actually insulted a warrior of her calibre, Tenjin turned up the heat a notch. Faster than she could follow, his rear foot snapped around in a circle, catching her on the side of the head dropping her like a stone. She again rolled when she hit the ground, ending up several metres from him. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it as she leapt to her feet just in time to avoid a downward thrust kick. She was still awake after that hit, he was even more impressed.  
  
Oh damn! Haruka thought, he kicks like a mule. She had fought droids that hit lighter than he did. It was very difficult to see his attacks before it was too late. She already knew he was faster stronger and tougher than her. Her only hope left was in skill, if she could just get in and hit some nerve clusters before he got the chance to crack her head open like an egg under one of those hits she would be ok, seeing a small opening in his defences, Haruka struck quick and hard. She hardly had time to register the fact that it was a trap before she was flying over his shoulder. Despite popular opinion tatami don't offer much padding when you're thrown like that. Haruka was seeing stars and knew that she had to get back up before he closed and finished this.  
  
She managed to get up before he got over to her. Considering his speed, that was an accomplishment. Her blocks were a tad slow for a moment as she got her bearings but they were adequate to turn back his attacks. His opinion of her skills went still higher when she managed to sneak an attack that would have crippled most people through his guard. He brushed off the powerful but ineffective strike to the nerve cluster in his underarm, and brought his elbow down on the top of her head before she had a chance to step out of range. Her eyes crossed yet she remained standing despite the blackness he knew had to be filling her vision after taking a hit like that. She quickly dodged out of the way of his follow up side kick and again managed to connect. This time she managed to get her foot around fast enough to strike him directly in the kidney. He was pushed forward almost two metres from the force of the blow but remained standing.  
  
Mamoru was aghast. They were moving at speeds he had trouble following. He had always known Haruka could stomp him in combat, but he'd never realised how disparaging the difference was. She was frighteningly fast, and probably almost as strong as he was, but it was her skill that had him totally outclassed, and Tenjin was keeping up with her. It was nearly 40 degrees outside, and only a little cooler in here, but Tenjin wasn't sweating despite his exertion. His face still wore the calm look he had had on since the fight began. Mamoru never wanted to play poker with someone that could do that. Mamoru winced in sympathy as Tenjin yet again hammered Haruka with a palm strike this one just below the sternum. The explosive exhalation of air didn't speak well for Haruka's chances over the next few moments.  
  
This was unbelievable, Makoto thought as the fight went on in front of her. She knew how good Haruka was, and even though she didn't have her magically boosted strength and toughness without changing into Sailor Uranus, there were still very few people that could stand up to her in combat. Tenjin was playing with her for Kami sake. It was hard to tell, but several times Makoto had seen him deliberately open a hole in his defences and allow her to try to hit him. Also a few times she had seen him pull his punch at the last instant. So despite what it looked like Makoto knew the truth. Unless Haruka was transformed she had no chance against him. Given just how hard he was hitting even when he pulled the strikes Makoto was willing to bet he could beat some of the lesser hand to hand skilled Senshi in their Senshi form. Of course once attack magic got involved he would lose, but the thought that Tenjin might possibly be able to take even someone as tough as Rei was in Senshi form gave her a burst of sympathy for the boys Konjou had stopped this morning.  
  
Wow. That was all Setsuna had to say. She had been around for a long long time, and had still never seen anyone as fast as Tenjin that was not magically boosted. His combat style looked like something she had seen before. Of course she could not remember where at just this instant, but given the sheer length of time she had been alive that was no surprise. It would occur to her eventually and when it did she would teach Haruka how to combat it next time. It still irritated her that none of the Senshi had asked her to teach them combat skills. Just what in the hell did they think she did with all that time watching the Time Gates. She had had ten thousand years to hone her skills she was completely confident that even without transforming she could take either of these boys, despite their phenomenal abilities, but until the Senshi asked she would not train them.  
  
Rei jumped back as Haruka landed on the mat in front of her. Haruka looked like she was running out of strength, but Tenjin looked just as fresh as he had at the start of the match. She knew she wasn't in Makoto's, let alone Haruka's league in martial arts, but she didn't understand why Haruka hadn't conceded the match already. She had to have bruises the size of Tenjin's hands all over her. She didn't know what Haruka was trying to prove, but she doubted getting the snot beaten out of her was the way to do it.  
  
"Do you concede?" Tenjin asked Haruka as she just managed to escape a backfist to the temple.  
  
"Never," Haruka growled. She used the anger his words brought to give herself a brief burst of energy. The unexpectedly fast attack blasted through his guard and caught him directly in the solo plexus. He didn't even exhale. He nodded his head to her in acknowledgement of the hit. Haruka felt a sharp pain on the back of her neck as he brought his foot down in an axe kick. The floor rushed up to meet her where welcoming blackness embraced her and took her away from the pain of the waking world.  
  
Tenjin tossed his head and bowed to his fallen opponent. He then looked up and smiled at Mina. Usagi gave a whoop and rushed over to give her 'champion' a hug.  
  
"Good job Tenjin. I knew you could do it!" she cheered. Mina sauntered over to him, a seductive look in her eyes. She stopped centimetres from him and pulled his lips down to hers in a searing kiss. Whistles filled the room as Makoto, Konjou and Usagi showed their appreciation for Mina's action. Michiru and Hotaru were already seeing to Haruka. Despite the long and heavy match she was remarkably unharmed. Michiru thanked the Kami for Haruka's condition and blocked everyone's view of Hotaru as she quickly applied what little healing energy she could spare in her unpowered form. Haruka began to stir immediately thanks to Hotaru's efforts.  
  
Haruka awoke and wished she hadn't. She hurt in places she hadn't known she had. Michiru helped her to her feet, where she staggered over to Tenjin.  
  
"That was a hell of a match Tenjin." She said. Respect in her voice and expression.  
  
"I agree Haruka-san, you are a most worthy opponent."  
  
Haruka snorted, though she knew she hadn't even hurt him she wasn't about to dispute her abilities in front of her friends and family. She caught his brief grin at her snort and knew he understood her situation. To her it was the final element, both Konjou and Tenjin were ok by her. They had both easily proved their honour and ability beyond question. And it looked like for the first time in a long time she had some people she could practice with, without having to hold back.  
  
Usagi glided over to Mamoru, her every movement poised and seductive. He swallowed convulsively as she dragged her finger from his chest up to his chin where she lifted his eyes to hers.  
  
"Get your tux, Mamo-chan." She said softly, her voice smoky, and her eyes dark with seduction. "Ami, Rei would you come assist me. I find myself needing help getting ready for a date." With that Usagi sauntered out the door, her friends moving quickly in her wake talking animatedly. Mamoru followed the girls out with a bemused expression on his face.  
  
"Now that was worth getting a beating for." Haruka said leaning on Michiru. Setsuna gathered Hotaru from her daydreams of virtuous samurai charging to her protection, and assisted Michiru in walking Haruka out. Tenjin saw the group of girls to the front door and wished then all a good afternoon. As soon as the door closed Mina threw herself onto Tenjin's back with a whoop.  
  
"Oh that was just perfect, I have never ever seen Mamoru look like that. She had him totally speechless!" Mina chirped with delight. In her exuberance she forgot that they were not yet totally alone. "So, Ten- chan," Mina said as he finger traced lazy circles oh his chest that was visible through the opening of his gi. "How about you get cleaned up and we get a little something to eat. We'll need the energy if you still want me to pick up where we left off."  
  
"Oh Kami Mina, I did not need to hear that!" Makoto yelled in embarrassment, her face flushed red in remembrance of the activities she had inadvertently interrupted yesterday. "I am never going to get that image out of my head now!"  
  
Tenjin reached back and pulled Mina around him without breaking her hold of him. She ended up with her legs wrapped around his body, her arms around his neck. Tenjin took the opportunity to kiss her deeply before responding. "How about you help me clean up and we order out." Makoto choked in embarrassment and Konjou roared in laughter. Tenjin carried Mina out of the front room and disappeared down the hallway leading to the southern side of the building.  
  
"So Makoto, do you feel like keeping me company for a while? I don't think my roommate is gonna notice if I'm alive or dead for the rest of the day." Konjou said with a smile.  
  
"I can not believe those two. I mean I know what I walked in on, but. but. you just can't act like that with other people in the room!" Makoto vented at Konjou.  
  
"Does that mean that since we're alone you won't mind if I do this?" He asked as he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her gently.  
  
"That's totally not fair Konjou. I wasn't ready. I demand a redo."  
  
"Gladly," he said as he kissed her again.  
  
"Ummm, much better." Makoto said relaxing against him. "I think I'll just keep you."  
  
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere anyway. Except possibly to get a snack, I missed lunch dealing with the police you know." He said, lightly showering her face and neck with kisses.  
  
"There's always what we were making yesterday." Makoto said, her voice thick with passion.  
  
"Oh I am so glad you mentioned that. I'll just warm it up a bit." He said as his hands slid up her sides, his lips slipping to the junction of her neck and shoulder.  
  
It was at that point that Makoto realised they were talking about two different things. "Slow down a little Konjou-chan. You're starting to scare me again." She whispered.  
  
Konjou reluctantly released her sides and took a half step back. His eyes were nearly black with desire. "I'm trying to go slow with you Mako- chan, but you're so beautiful and you're body responds so well that it's very very difficult. Be a little patient with me. I don't mean to rush you so just keep warning me if I go out of bounds, ok?"  
  
Makoto looked up at Konjou, her expression a mixture of fear and desire. "I will, just be patient with me. I want you, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. You're a good man for not trying to push me into it."  
  
"I have more respect for you than that." He said giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Let me change out of my school clothes and we can go out somewhere. I really don't want to hang around here if they start doing anything more intense than they have been." He said looking at the hallway Mina and Tenjin had disappeared down.  
  
"Ok I'll wait right here."  
  
Makoto didn't have long to wait, within a couple of minutes Konjou had washed up and changed clothes, taking Makoto's hand in his they walked out the door and headed toward the stairs.  
  
********  
  
Mina giggled as she felt his lips on her neck, she had her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her hands clenched into tight little fists at her side. Tenjin had carried her into his room and tossed her unceremoniously onto his bed. He then began to ravish her with kissed to every exposed scrap of flesh her fuku displayed. She could feel beyond the shadow of any doubt just how ready he was for this to go further, but she hadn't been joking in the front room. She wanted him to get cleaned up first, and for her own self esteem she needed to go on a real date with him first. If she went on a date with him it would make their relationship feel more real. Despite how much she wanted him, she would feel cheap and dirty if this went any farther without it.  
  
"Ten-chan, you need to get cleaned up now." She said between sighs. Her body was melting with his touch. She had to stop him now. As if he read her mind he groaned and stood up taking a hold of her hand and pulling her up with him.  
  
"If I have to get cleaned up, so do you, and you know how much of a waste of water it would be to run two showers."  
  
"You don't mean you want me to shower with you, do you Ten-chan."  
  
"Mina, let me be totally honest. I've already seen almost every beautiful centimetre of you, and if you were serious back in the dojo and front room I'll soon do more than see you. I don't want to leave you, even for something as short as a shower right now. I want you, I understand that you need a little time to get used to the idea, so let me help you adjust, please. Besides, I have a very large furo in my bathroom and I think it would be the perfect thing to help you relax."  
  
"Ten-chan, I want you to go take a shower, alone. I can't do what you want yet, please don't push me."  
  
"Hai Mina-chan, I understand."  
  
"I'm not telling you no, Ten-chan, there's just some things I need to do first, trust me, please."  
  
Tenjin smiled in understanding and disappeared into the bathroom adjoining his room. Fifteen Minutes later he exited wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. His lithe muscular physique was almost totally open to Mina's inspection. Her eyes greedily raked him from head to toe, almost caressing him whit the intensity of her stare. He flashed her a grin and unashamedly dropped his towel. Mina gulped and watched his every movement in fascination. Inexperienced Mina may have been, but completely ignorant she was not. She was more than well aware of what a man would look like naked, but having one naked in front of her was something else entirely. She almost pouted when he put on the black silk underwear he had taken from his drawer. A few short disappointing minutes later he was fully dressed.  
  
"You do realise I did that for you right?" he said with a smile as he took her hand and led her to the front door.  
  
They gathered their shoes and set off down the stairs. They soon arrived at the lobby of the apartment, and hand in hand strolled into the afternoon sunlight. From behind his back Tenjin pulled a parasol and presented it to Mina. The smile on his face made her laugh as she accepted his gift.  
  
"Why thank you my gallant knight." She giggled.  
  
"A pleasure my lady. It would be a terrible crime for me to allow your beauty to be marred by the merciless summer sun."  
  
Mina was further surprised and overjoyed when she opened the parasol. It was constructed entirely of delicately woven white silk and lace. Its overlapping folds streamed over its ribs to form a short curtain around her face. She didn't know where he had gotten such a beautiful gift, but its presentation brought a tear to her eyes.  
  
"It's beautiful Ten-chan."  
  
"It's not even close to as beautiful as the young woman holding it." With that he leaned over and kissed her briefly on the lips.  
  
The afternoon fairly flew by, as Saturday afternoon's tend to do, Tenjin seemed to anticipate her every need, though most of his actions had an underlying romantic theme. Somehow he convinced the man that rented out the paddle bikes on the lake to move them to the head of the waiting list, and in under five minutes had them out on the lake of the park. Though one side of the park was heavily damaged from the battle early this morning, it was still a beautiful and romantic thing to do. Despite not having a reservation and being almost sadly underdressed for the occasion, He managed to get them window seats overlooking Tokyo Tower in the Kanki no Ai restaurant. The sun set on them as they strolled hand in hand down a path in the Tokyo Botanical Garden's tropical flowers section.  
  
Hand in hand they walked back towards Tenjin's apartment. An acceptance of what was to come had settled on the couple. Words were almost extraneous as a look spoke volumes. When Tenjin unlocked the door and lead her in Mina pulled away. He looked at her, confusion and quite a bit of disappointment in his expression. She held up her hand in a gesture that asked to wait.  
  
"I need to borrow your phone for a moment Ten-chan." She said simply.  
  
"Right over here," he said as he led her into the kitchen. She easily found the telephone mounted on the wall. Mina was glad the telephone company was deemed important enough to warrant the government putting it on the electricity list. This would have been a lot harder without the telephone.  
  
She dialled her home number and waited for one of her parents to answer. After a short moment her mother picked up.  
  
"Mother," she said. "Yes I know I'm late, yes I've been over at the Jinja. Uh huh, yea were going to make a sleep over of it. No mother, the only male here is Rei's grandpa. No Rei and Yuuchiro had a falling out. No he doesn't live here anymore. Mother, he's close to twenty five years old, and hasn't had a hair cut in my lifetime. That's right I'm totally and completely uninterested in him. Can we talk about this later mom, the girls are calling for me. I love you too, mom. Goodbye." Mina hung up the phone and looked Tenjin strait in the eye.  
  
"It is ok if I spend the night here with you, right?" She asked, her expression caught somewhere between fear and excitement.  
  
Tenjin stepped forward and placed a kiss on her upturned face. His hands settled on her shoulders as he pulled her tight against him. She could feel his body reacting to hers. "I'd have to be insane to say no." He told her in a whisper. "Now, how about you go put on that bathing suit you bought and we go soak in the furo to relax a while."  
  
End Chapter 3 


	4. Some like it hot

Chapter Four  
  
Mina took Tenjin's hand and gently pulled him towards his bedroom door. He put up no resistance to the idea at all, but simply allowed her to lead. The crossed into his bedroom the lack of candles allowed the curtain of night to fall heavy upon the room. Tenjin walked over to the night stand and lit the lamp sitting there amazingly fast. He dipped a candle into the flame and carried it before him as he closed the hallway door. With a look at Mina that threatened to melt her bones from the heat of it, he quietly slid open the door to his private bath. Quickly using the candle in his hand he lit the lanterns placed strategically around the room.  
  
Mina sighed in wonder at the beauty of the room. A furo occupied the majority of the right hand side, easily large enough to comfortably hold four people. Dual shower heads focused on one spot of the floor on the other side. A washing bench made of a blue marble material with gold scrollwork sat underneath them. The tile floor matched the bench surface while the knobs for the shower matched the scrollwork. All in all it was gorgeous in the flickering light. Tenjin reached over and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature to a very warm spray, steam began to rise quickly in the room.  
  
Tenjin took her into his arms, his lips unerringly finding hers in a slow gentle kiss. Mina began to relax with the familiar sensation. His hands slid down her sides to lightly brush her hips, she gasped in pleasure at the contact. His kisses moved from her lips to her cheeks and continued up towards her closed eye lids. The rain of kisses continued unabated while his hands began a slow stroking motion in her back. The heat of the shower's mist began to seep into her, making her motions languid.  
  
She brought her arms up palms resting flat on his chest, her hands trembled slightly in fear and excitement equally. She tilted her head back, further allowing him unrestricted access to her neck. Her sighs of pleasure echoed strangely in the heavy mist, lending to the air of unreality. She whimpered slightly at the loss of contact as his hands ceased their circling motions on her hips to glide ever so softy up her body and curled into her hair.  
  
With efficient yet gentle motions he untied the ribbon from her hair and hung it over the handle to the bathroom door. Once released from its confinement her silken tresses flowed like a waterfall of sunlight down her back all the way to her hips. He stopped and stared in wonder at the vision of loveliness that stood before him. He placed a kiss on the end of her pert nose as he ran his hands through the silky mass of her hair, stroking her like a cat.  
  
She took a hold of the bottom of his shirt, her hands steady with the knowledge that this was her choice, and slowly pulled it up and over his head. She dropped it behind her and lightly rubbed her hands over his chest. She lightly traced her fingers around his nipple and rewarded by it contracting into diamond hardness. She grinned at his hiss of indrawn breath from her caress. She leaned her head down and licked his nipple.  
  
He shuddered violently at the raw sexual feeling of her tongue on his chest. He tangled his hands in her hair pulling her head back away from him with gentle yet unmistakeable intent. He rolled her top up over her head, and pinned her arms behind her back with it. His fingers quickly unfastened the front enclosure of her bra, her breasts sprang forward forcing the cups apart on their own once the restraint was dealt with. He gazed lovingly at her and leaned down to capture her nipple in his mouth.  
  
She cried out in pleasure when his hot mouth encompassed the tip of her breast, the wet heat arrowed strait through her, causing answering warmth to begin to pool in her belly. She finally worked her arms free of the entrapment of her top and it, along with her bra, was discarded behind her. Her arms encircled him his nails lightly raked his back as he continued to devour her breasts. She drew her hands further down his body to grip his butt, and pulled him closer to her. Her hips began to rotate against him, pressing her softness against his rigidity.  
  
He released her hair, his hands stroked their way down her back and wound their way under her skirt. A flick of his fingers and its button fell open allowing it to drop already forgotten to the ground. He revelled in her cry of passion when he slipped his hands under her panties. Her firm butt warm in his hands. He leaned her against the wall next to the door and nipped the tip of her breast lightly.  
  
Her hands flashed to his pants when she felt him lightly graze her nipple with his teeth. In one motion she pulled down both his pants and underwear, freeing his hardness to rest against her belly. She smiled as he groaned at the freedom she granted him, and slipped her hand down to encircle his length. She could feel every muscle in his body contract when she closed her hand around him. Her first stroke of his length brought an immediate reaction, his teeth once again nipped the super sensitive end of her breast, this time with force enough to be the border between pleasure and pain.  
  
He hardly noticed her moan of pleasure as he kissed his way back up to her mouth. A hard spike of pleasure brought on by her slow stroking of him triggered a muscle spasm that reduced her panties to confetti, they fell unnoticed to the floor. Now that she was completely disrobed he stepped away and viewed her in her natural state. He was nearly struck speechless by the awe inspiring beauty before him.  
  
"Your perfect Mina-chan," He whispered, his voice a caress in and of itself. "In all my life I have never beheld a more beautiful vision of loveliness than you."  
  
Mina blushed shyly and peeked at his body revealed to her in its completely aroused state. He looked like a statue of a Greek god. His body was lightly muscled, but very well defined. His manhood stood proudly erect, drawing her eyes to it like a magnet. As she watched it, it twitched, looking almost impatient. She forced her eyes back to his face and found him staring at her. She self-consciously followed his gaze and realised he was staring at her delta. She fought down the totally irrational desire to cover herself from his sight with her hands, and managed to adopt a proud stance that displayed her charms more prominently.  
  
He gathered her close and stepped beneath the spray of the shower heads. The steamy water acted like another caress. It poured down their bodies raising their body temperatures even higher. He reached behind her to take hold of a bottle of liquid soap. He squirted a generous amount into his hand and cupped it for a moment to allow it to pick up some of his body heat. He placed his soap covered hands against her belly and felt the muscles there jump at the contact. He dragged his hands up almost but not quite touching her breasts his fingers scratching lightly in contrast to the slick feel of his soap covered palms.  
  
He continued the caressing wash moving over her sides, using just enough force to keep her from collapsing into a bundle of giggles from the tickling sensation that caused. Her back received the same treatment, his nails driving her mad with tension that was soothed a heartbeat later by his slick hands. Each arm was treated equally, yet he was ever so careful no to even accidentally brush her breasts. He slid down her sides to her legs, and she had to put her hands on his shoulders to keep her legs from buckling.  
  
She was whimpering loudly by the time he finished her legs, and much like her upper body not once had he touched what she really wanted him to. He moved his hands to her hips and softly licked her folds in a long slow swipe of his tongue. He stood again to face her, her gasp of pleasure more than an adequate reassurance of her desire to continue. He once again captured her lips with his, his tongue gently stroked hers.  
  
She could taste herself on his tongue. The flavour was both strange and exciting. She needed to calm down some, her heart was pounding so hard it frightened her. She wanted him to be as far gone as her. It didn't seem fair that he somehow managed to retain his composure. A devious idea occurred to her, and she took the bottle of soap.  
  
She squirted a large dollop of it into her hands, and hardly waiting for it to warm began to massage his chest and shoulders with it. Her small strong hands pressed and raked his muscles, drawing him further into a relaxed state. Her massage continued over his arms and back, even going so far as to pull lightly on his fingers. His neck saw much the same treatment, and by the time she slid her hands down to his legs, his body had become heavy and lethargic. Her fingers drew out the tension from his thighs and calves. Tenjin found it necessary to lean against the wall to remain standing. She finished her treatment of his legs and he prepared to rinse off, ready for a long soak in the furo in prelude of their loving. He was completely caught off guard when her still soap slick hand took a hold of his member, her other gently caressing his genitals.  
  
He collapsed to the bench, his hands curled tightly on its surface while she continued her slow smooth strokes and gentle massage. His breathing became quick and erratic, his pulse pounded deafeningly in his ears. Her small hands began to increase their pace. Guttural sounds filled the small room as he began to thrust his hips slightly, in time with her motions. She bent her head down and slowly swirled her tongue over the engorged head of her captured prey, and a sharp cracking sound filled the room. Mina hardly had time to notice two hand sized chunks of marble now lay on the floor, before Tenjin had finished sweeping her into his arms and depositing them both into the furo.  
  
He sat behind her his arms around her waist one hand lay lightly on her belly the other began gently caressing her breasts. He almost whimpered when she scooted back lifting slightly up to trap his length between her cheeks and the bottom of the furo. She slowly rocked her hips sliding his length along the soft skin beneath her meike. His other hand moved from her belly down to her folds where it began to softly trace her inner lips, dipping down into her with the tip of his finger, at the end of each circle.  
  
Tenjin took her earlobe into his mouth, his teeth pressing into her sensitive lobe. One hand tweaked her nipple very firmly, while the other brushed against her clitoris. She bit her lip to keep from screaming in pleasure at the sensation. His hands once again returned to their gentle movements, leaving her body humming from the radically different stimuli.  
  
For several minutes more the couple continued their loveplay in the furo, finally Tenjin stood and on shaking legs drew Mina up to him. She turned to face her lover, her expression of need almost totally burying the tiny kernel of fear that remained within her. They stepped out of the furo and he withdrew a pair of enormous fluffy towels. He gently began to rub her dry with one of them. The soft cottony texture sent waves of pleasure running threw her as it brushed over her. He took extra care with her breasts and the delta of her thighs, going so far as to slowly and softly run the edge of the towel between her folds. Mina cried out at the sensation and clung to him as the waved of pleasure threatened to overwhelm her.  
  
She took the other towel from him and began a deliberate and provocative exploration of him, nominally using drying him off as an excuse. When she finished his breathing was again ragged, his eyes were wide and a hint of wild desperation had entered them. His normally emerald green eyes had lightened in the odd light to look like pools of liquid platinum. With one last brush she let the towel drop to the floor.  
  
He picked her up effortlessly, and carried her through the doorway to his bedroom, stopping briefly to collect something from the door. Only the soft light of a single lantern was present to push back the darkness. Mina shivered in anticipation of what was to come.  
  
"Are you sure you're ready for this Mina-chan?" He asked softly, his eyes locked directly onto hers as if seeking their own answers from within her.  
  
"Hai, Ten-chan." She whispered in response, her ability to speak nearly gone from the emotions thickening her throat. "I don't just want you, I need you. Please Ten-chan, make me yours." She managed to say.  
  
Tenjin's eyes seemed filled with the answers to all the questions she had never dared ask when he once again began to move. He slid down and again encompassed her nipple within his mouth. One hand caressed her other breast while the other began a steady stroking exploration of the rest of her body. Mina quickly began to moan as the sensations overwhelmed the still present hesitance within her. Her body again began to tremble slightly, this time in need. The feelings his touched invoked in her were too powerful to contain, she needed more, faster, and Tenjin still continued his leisurely caresses. Mina desperately grasped his roaming hand in hers and directed it to where she needed him so desperately to touch. He chuckled lightly as his fingers brushed ever so softly against the core of her desire. A hard, hot spike of pleasure assaulted her at the touch, and she arched her hips sharply in response. Again he rubbed his fingers over her core, and again the sensations spiked. A little of the intensity seemed to remain after each spike, building the next one higher and higher in response.  
  
In an unexpected movement he pushed one finger into the tightness of her channel on the next stroke, her body bowed in response, and colours began to flicker at the edges of her vision. The feelings he was arousing in her we unbelievable. Her entire body pulsed with the beat of her heart, in time with his caresses. Blackness crawled at the edges of the colours that now encompassed the majority of her vision. He hands made desperate clawing motions on his back, seeking to pull him closer, to gather more of him into contact and to complete this. whatever it was that he was doing to her. Her moans had taken on a loud frantic tenor, and were punctuated by short high pitched squeaks. He drew hard suction on her nipple and bit down slightly at the exact same instant he pushed a second digit into he virgin canal. Mina arched and thrashed as waves and of ecstasy overwhelmed her. A loud scream tore itself from her throat. Her legs trembled and her blood seemed to turn to molten metal. Her essence poured out of her, soaking his hand. For an instant that lasted eternity, Mina wallowed in the sensation of pure undiluted bliss.  
  
The first thing she noticed was Tenjin had settled to her side slightly, she didn't remember him moving. His hands were once again slowly caressing her body. The fluids that she had released had slightly cooled and had formed a slightly sticky coating on her meike.  
  
"Are you back with me now Mina-chan?" Tenjin asked. She could see his smile even in the low light.  
  
Mina flushed in embarrassment when she realised she must have passed out from her orgasm. "Hai, I'm back." She said still slightly dazed. "How long was I out?" She whispered, somewhat afraid of having disappointed him with her reaction.  
  
"Oh no more than a minute or so." He said still grinning. "You make me feel very proud of myself, making you faint in ecstasy is something I will remember for the rest of my life." His hands continued to reawaken her arousal with their knowing touches. "We do have a problem Mina-chan, a big one." He said, looking frighteningly serious.  
  
"What's wrong Ten-chan?" Mina asked worriedly. She prayed that she had done nothing to spoil this beautiful moment between them.  
  
"The problem is we've only just begun."  
  
He leaned over and captured her lips with his. His tongue pressed deeply into her, to lick the roof of her mouth. She shivered at the suddenness of the invasion, and fought to regain equal footing. He moved to position himself between her legs, his still hard length lay against the blond curls nestled in the juncture of her thighs. One hand sought the damp heat of her folds while the other rubbed small circles down her body from her breasts to join its brother.  
  
Her hands seemed to move without her conscious direction, one slid down to cradle his length, while the other cupped and rolled his genitals. A sharp oath escaped him and she felt him pulse in her hand.  
  
"Kami-sama, Mina. If you keep that up much longer this will be over before we've begun." He whispered in a strained voice.  
  
Tenjin gently pulled her hands away from him and gathered them together into one of his. He raised them above her head and teasingly dragged something silky and cool up over her belly and across her nipples. Her eyes flashed in wonder as he pulled the mysterious object, her hair ribbon, above her head and lightly secured her wrists together with it. Using the extra length he loosely tied her bound wrists to the wrought iron headboard of his bed. For the briefest of instants Mina felt a surge of panic, then she realised what he intended. She knew she could pull her hands free should she desire to, but the binding of her hands was a symbol of her surrender to him.  
  
He took a long look at her and with her nod of acceptance he reached down and parted her opening with his fingers. He positioned the engorged head of his manhood within her opened petals, and pushed slightly. Mina thrashed against her light bonds, though her body was very ready for this, he was much thicker than even two of his fingers. It felt like she was being pried apart. His slow steady pressure kept the pain of the invasion down to manageable levels but it seemed to her there was simply no way he would be able to fit all of him in her.  
  
Tenjin knew she was a virgin, despite her lack of a hymen. Her almost unbearable snugness was proof beyond the shadow of a doubt, had he have needed any. He kissed her again, and could taste the saltiness of tears on her face from the pain of his invasion of her. Though he was barely half in her, he drew back until only his head remained within. She gasped at the sensation the friction caused and he pushed forward again, going ever so slightly deeper.  
  
Her body again felt like it was on fire. The pain of his possession surged in counterpoint to the ecstasy of his withdraw. Over and over again he pressed into her, each stroke penetrating deeper and deeper into her. Her body's response made her hot and slick, easing his passage and greatly reducing the uncomfortable sensations caused by his penetration. The feeling of pain faded into the background. A sense of fullness accompanied by waves of bliss in time with his thrusts was all that remained. She felt a new sensation. Something thumped lightly into the sensitive span of flesh between her meike and her butt. It took several more impacts before she realised that it was his genitals, he had somehow managed to fit all of him within her.  
  
The world receded around her, the only thing that mattered in the entire universe was her joining with him. Dimly she could still feel his hands stroking and caressing the rest of her body, but it was unimportant. She could once again see the colours tingling within her vision, this time they were a hundred times as bright. She could feel her blood boiling beneath the surface of her skin as she arched her hips to meet his every thrust.  
  
His movements picked up speed, he could feel her arms thrashing lightly at the bonds that held them, with a negligent pull he undid the bow of the ribbon and her arms wrapped gratefully around him. She dragged her hands down his back in unknowing sympathy to the tide of emotions welling within her. Her nails scraping roughly yet unfelt against his skin. A hard contraction of pleasure surged within her. Her legs wrapped tight around him, urging him without words to move quicker, thrust harder.  
  
Another flare of pleasure struck her, and her arms convulsed, nearly squeezing the air from his lungs. His eyes almost seemed to glow in the soft light, they were the only point of stability in her world. Another flare, struck their intervals narrowing. She couldn't understand why the room hadn't ignited from the heat within her. Another struck, and she began to call out loudly. Again, this one right on the heels of the last and even his eyes were no longer in focus to her. The next struck before that last had subsided, the colours within her head danced madly. He throat became raw from her cries. She could feel his body pistoning away within her his movements relentless and frantic. The flares of passion rolled together into one intense flame hotter than the sun. She threw her head back, her eyes involuntarily clenched shut as every muscle in her body locked. Within her body her vaginal muscles erupted into wild spasming pulling him deeper within him and tearing his control away. With a cry he joined her on the edge of oblivion the world seemed to stop around them. A flood of heat welcomed his release into her body and she once again blacked out under the force of her climax.  
  
Tenjin didn't notice her unconsciousness for several moments though. The room was much brighter than it should have been. A golden glow filled the room softly with its light. Under most circumstances he wouldn't have found that to be troubling, but in this case it was. Burning on the forehead of his undeniably beautiful lover was a golden symbol. A heart shape, that seemed mounted on a short cross. The symbol of Sailor Venus, prominently displayed on her forehead reflected within his Platinum eyes.  
  
"Oh shit." Tenjin said. "How in the hell did I get myself into this?" he asked no one in particular.  
  
He gathered the unconscious beauty into his arms and drew the sheet up over them. When he was certain she was comfortable he leaned his head back against the pillows and sighed. "How in the name of Dallak am I going to explain this one to her?" he spoke to himself. "I mean I can't just wake her up and say, gee Mina I'm really sorry about that Agony Binding I put on you, here let me make it up to you, would you prefer ice cream or diamonds? I know, maybe I could make a whole bunch of magical noise and when the Senshi show up I'll kiss Venus into submission. Nahh, she'd probably just blast me with those damn hearts again." With that Gogyou Tenjin, more correctly known as Mordaki Namar, Primarch of Form and Nature, second born of the Ulterran, cuddled closer to his lover/enemy and whispered apologies to her in a language older than her world.  
  
******** It was near to midnight when Konjou and Makoto returned, the house was silent and cool, only a single lantern in the front room granted them any light. A strange look passed over Konjou's face as he led her into the dining room.  
  
"Well that answers that question." He said as he opened every window he could find.  
  
"What question?" She replied.  
  
"Cant' you smell the scent of what Tenjin and Mina were doing?" He asked, seemingly surprised at her lack of notice.  
  
"Not really," she said, and giggled at his scrunched up face.  
  
"Trust me I can, and its pretty heavy. Man I hope they kept it in his rooms, the last thing I want is to find out they were getting nasty on the dinner table or something hentai like that."  
  
Makoto jumped away from the table she had previously been leaning on so fast one would have thought it had burned her. She began to blush and stammer at the amused questioning glance Konjou gave her. "They wouldn't would they?" Makoto nearly yelled in shock.  
  
"I wouldn't put anything past Tenjin. Trust me that boy is more inventive along those lines than you could imagine in a million years." Konjou seemed to think there was something funny about his own statement, and his smile was infectious.  
  
Makoto was soon giggling along with him and she playfully slapped his arm when he pulled her close for a kiss. All movement stopped however when Tenjin stumbled into the kitchen clad only in a towel hanging loosely off his hips, modestly only barely observed. His back was covered in deep scratch marks, his eyes were glazed and the odour of recent sex wafted strongly off of him.  
  
He stumbled to the sink and turned on the water. Instead of getting a glass he angled his head under the spray and took several long gulps. For a few moments the only motion was that of his Adam's apple, the only sound that of his swallowing. He shut the water off and stepped away from the sink. Only then did he appear to notice the couple in the room with him.  
  
"Meethay kudera esk Neko?" he said. Konjou looked startled at the gibberish he spoke and a look of consternation crossed his face.  
  
"Theruass deeanunn tor. Dahau mindrak eyeara Kalranin Mori." He replied  
  
Tenjin seemed to weigh whatever Konjou had told him and after a moment of consideration responded. "Kalrania Makoto tudoral kithrin jass Senshi. Yandri Mordred e Lor."  
  
By this point Makoto was feeling left out, besides she was almost certain Tenjin had said her name in that last exchange. Makoto was often known for her bluntness within her group of friends and took the initiative to speak.  
  
"Either of you care to let me into this conversation, or should I just go knit or something." Her voice wasn't much warmer than an Antarctic wind. Tenjin bowed low, at her interruption, almost losing his towel in the process, and walked out of the room. Konjou looked at her shamefacedly and moved his mouth closer to hers.  
  
"Uh uh, no way buster, no kisses for you until you tell me what's going on."  
  
"You'd really probably be much happier not knowing."  
  
"Tell me." She growled.  
  
"Ok ok, sheesh, he said there was something seriously wrong that I needed to know and it was about some friends of ours." He lied blithely.  
  
"Oh, and what about him saying my name, humm? Where does that fit in with your little story?"  
  
"Oh, he was just saying that he'll talk to me more after you head off to sleep."  
  
"Try not to be insulted, but I don't think he would have bothered speaking in, well whatever language you were speaking for that. I think I'll just go ask Tenjin what he said."  
  
"I really wouldn't do that if I were you Mako-chan. You go walking into his room your gonna get a shock." Of course she was already gone by the time he finished so the majority of his warning was lost to her.  
  
Makoto marched through the apartment, following the smell more than anything. She pulled open the door without knocking and stopped dead in her tracks. Tenjin was lying flat on his back, while Mina sat astride his hips. They were moving together in a slow rhythm her back arched presenting her breasts toward him like an offering, and offering his hands seemed quite glad to accept. Mina's squeals of delight punctuated the scene. The lovers hadn't even noticed her entrance. A hand pulled the stunned Makoto away from the door and pulled it closed.  
  
"I did try to warn you." Konjou said tactlessly. "But no, you just had to rush off to interrogate him didn't you."  
  
"But.but.he was just in the kitchen, how could they have gotten that involved that quickly." She gasped confused at the intensity of what she had just seen.  
  
"She was probably waiting for him when he got back, and you know quite well how fast things can move along once they get started. They started hours ago."  
  
******** Konjou herded Makoto away from Tenjin's door, but several things were troubling her. As soon as the door closed she had been unable to hear the loud noises coming from the room. She knew the place had good soundproofing, but that was ridiculous. Mina had been close to screaming, Mamoru should be able to hear them in his apartment for Kami sake, yet there she was less that ten feet away and they might as well have been sleeping for all she could hear. Second was the odd language they were speaking to one another. She couldn't remember just where she had heard it, but she knew those words sounded familiar. And last, there was something different about Tenjin, something had looked off, well besides the claw marks and bite marks and light hickey on his chest. As she dwelt on her last thoughts Makoto shuddered, there were some things she was better off not knowing, and just how wild Mina was in bed ranked very high on that list.  
  
She turned and saw Konjou had once again disappeared into the front room. She followed after him wondering what was wrong. She totally didn't believe whatever the boys had talked about was as benign as he had tried to convince her of, but couldn't for the life of her imagine what could be said with so few words that could change Konjou's mood like that.  
  
Makoto silently walked up behind him and put her arms around his waist, pulling him close. For a moment she was taken back to her childhood, when there were people in her life that loved her because she was Kino Makoto, and required no other reason. She knew the other Senshi cared about her, but it wasn't the same. Usagi loved everyone, even people that didn't deserve it. The rest of the Senshi loved her like a sister, but what she needed was someone to love her like a Makoto.  
  
That was the real reason she looked so hard for love. Only Mamoru among the Senshi crowd had any idea what her life was like, and really he was better off. He couldn't remember his family at all. He didn't know what he had lost. She hated herself for feeling the way she did, but there was little she could do about it. Or there had been little she could do about it, she thought.  
  
Konjou seemed the answer to all her prayers. He was tall, strong, and handsome to the point of pain. He was sweet, kind, and a little unsure of himself around her. He could defend himself from almost any normal danger, and had no problems helping out those less fortunate than himself. If he would just get off his butt and tell her he loved her she could get on with the happily ever after.  
  
Oh she wanted him all right, in every sense of the word. She wanted to hold him in her arms and be held in his. She wanted to wake up beside him and have his face be the first thing she saw. She wanted to make love to him so badly it hurt at times. But she couldn't do it yet, not until she knew he felt the same way. Oh when it came right down to it she would take him any way she could get him. She was now facing a clock, and it was running down on her. She would become intimate with him before she faced those slime ball Primarchs, but she so badly wanted to hear him say 'I love you, Makoto' before they took that step. Without love sex would be a cheap, pale, sickly thing, compared to the glory and beauty of truly making love. Mina was a great example. She looked so happy now. Makoto knew her friend felt the same as her. She just wished she knew how Mina got Tenjin to confess the love he obviously held for her so quickly.  
  
Makoto unknowingly began to rub Konjou's shoulders as she dwelt on the difficulties of pining down a boy's affections long enough to get a confession. Konjou on the other hand simply enjoyed hedonistically the feeling of her hands rubbing him. Makoto was so lost in thought that her hands began their own little tour of Konjou's body, completely failing to inform her mind of their travel plans. They slid down his chest as she remembered the things he had done to her yesterday. They softly dragged her nails across his abs as she recalled the magic his fingers had worked on her. Makoto became aware of a low rumbling in her ear. She wasn't quite sure how her head had ended up with her chin on his shoulder, but it was comfortable. Even the sound of him purring into her ear was pleasant.  
  
"Mako-chan," he said, turning around to gather her into his embrace. "I seriously recommend you don't start anything tonight that you aren't willing to finish." His eyes were both pleading and dangerous. "You are too beautiful for me to resist if you encourage me. So please make very very sure you're ready before you go any further."  
  
Makoto knew by the look in his eyes that he was serious. He called her beautiful, he wanted to protect her, even from himself. It was so close to what she needed, but it still wasn't enough. She gave him a light hug and stepped back.  
  
"I need to get home Konjou, it's really late." She said with a small sigh. "I thought I'd have Mina walk home with me, but that's out of the question now." She said scrunching her face up cutely at the memory of what she had just seen.  
  
"You don't have to go Mako-chan." He said softly. "You can stay here for the night."  
  
"I'm not sure that would be a good idea Konjou. I'm just not ready for that," she said nodding her head at the hallway toward Tenjin's room.  
  
"No pressure. We stay in different rooms. The Kami know we have enough guest rooms here." He muttered half to himself.  
  
"Are you sure it won't be a problem?" she asked.  
  
"Positive."  
  
Makoto didn't want to walk home, not even with company. She was still quite stirred up physically from Konjou's nearness and what she had witnessed between Mina and Tenjin. She didn't want to give him the wrong idea by sleeping here, but he had offered her a guest room. It took Makoto less than ten seconds to come to a decision.  
  
"Ok, just show me where the room is."  
  
Konjou led Makoto down the southern hallway, she noticed the décor of this section of the house was different from Tenjin's eastern section or the Northern area where the dojo was.  
  
"This must be your section of the apartment." She spoke in passing.  
  
"Yea, Tenjin likes Bright metallic colours, I've always been more partial to cooler colours, blues and greens mostly, though I'll agree with him that silver is nice." His grin carried some strange hidden meaning.  
  
"So you like green huh?" she said with a grin. "That's my favourite too."  
  
He stopped at the second door and directed her inside. The room was sparsely decorated, only a western style bed and a night stand actually, but the colours were green pastels, from the pale green walls to the cyan carpeting. Even the bedspread was green, a deep emerald colour.  
  
"It's beautiful." She whispered in awe. The thick carpeting made it feel as if she walked on a cloud. The odd scrollwork on the trim around the room made her feel somehow secure, protected. The effect was perfect.  
  
"Well you did say green was your favourite." He began. "There were only two other options, the silver room and the white room."  
  
"I thought you said you liked blues and greens, why don't you have a blue room?"  
  
"I'm sleeping in it, if you really want to stay there instead." he added with a grin.  
  
Makoto laughed nervously, images of a room like this one, done instead in blue filled her head. In the image she straddled his hips like she had seen Mina doing to Tenjin. His body curled to meet her, his mouth sucking on her." she desperately tore herself out of the fantasy. Her breathing already heavy, her heart rate elevated.  
  
"Do you have anything to sleep in Mako-chan?"  
  
"I'll just sleep in my uniform, it won't be the first time."  
  
"Oh I can't have that. Stay here." He commanded mildly and exited the room. A few seconds later he returned with a green silky bundle in his arms. "Here ya go, it might be a little big on you, but it's soft and clean." He said passing the bundle into her hands.  
  
Makoto took the offered pyjamas and smiled. "There yours I take it?" she said.  
  
"Yep, Oh come on Mako-chan, you know you want to get into my pants."  
  
Makoto almost dropped the bundle in shock. She blushed madly and made shooing motions with her hands.  
  
"You need to leave so I can change." She said, her face burning.  
  
"Aww, do I have to?" He whined.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ok, but I want it on the record I left you under protest."  
  
"Noted, now scram."  
  
Konjou cast an obviously fake hurt look over his shoulder at her as he left. Makoto quickly stripped out of her fuku, and slipped into the borrowed night clothes. The feel of the silk rubbing over her bare breasts elevated her already somewhat aroused state. Her nipples contracted painfully at the false caress and Makoto sighed. The pants were secured as best as possible, but even with the string pulled as tight as possible they still hung slightly low on her hips. The large top covered her more than adequately. It hung well past her waist to end at mid thigh. She knew that Konjou was taller than her, but he wasn't that tall. Or anywhere near that broad. She wondered why his pyjamas were so big.  
  
******** Makoto looked again at the candle in the room. It was hard to tell because of how slowly it burned, but it seemed quite some time had passed. She couldn't sleep. He mind simply wouldn't still. It kept replaying the scene from Tenjin's bedroom, and its effect on her was disturbing. She was hot yet shivering. Her arousal was near to as bad as it had been when she lost control yesterday, and she was entirely too close to where Konjou was undoubtedly peacefully sleeping. For an instant she imagined stealthily creeping into his room and having her way with him. She reigned in her overactive imagination for the thousandth time tonight.  
  
Makoto decided a cool glass of water was in order. Maybe it would put out the fire in her body. She got out of bed and quietly opened the door to her room, the hallway was nearly pitch black, but she could still see a small glow from up ahead in the direction of the front room. Makoto followed the light, and with a grin of triumph entered the kitchen. Once she was done Makoto returned down the hallway towards her room. The open door allowed the candlelight to leak into the hallway, making locating it simple.  
  
Makoto paused before her door. She wanted to see him. It was foolish, there was no reason to do it. He was asleep, he couldn't talk to her, and he wouldn't even know she was there. That thought decided it. Before she even realised she was moving, Makoto silently stepped down the hall. She paused at the first door she came to, quietly she inched it open and peaked inside, No candle burned in the room, there was even no smell of one that had been extinguished, deciding that this was not his room she inched the door closed. The next door she came to proved to be a bathroom. She again carefully tread down the hall to the doors at either side of the end of it. Choosing the door on the same side as her bedroom she carefully, quietly slid the door open a crack. A shaft of light illuminated her face, and she suppressed a whoop of victory. Ever so carefully she inched the door open wide enough to allow her to pass through.  
  
She slid sideways through the door, the tips of her breasts just brushing the frame. The feeling of the silk top rubbing against her from it made her bite back a gasp. She completed her entry and glanced quickly around. Konjou lay face up sprawled over the bed. His eyes were closed and his breathing deep and even. He looked totally relaxed, peaceful and still. His face wore and expression of contentment that made her want to ruffle his hair. Slowly, not quite believing what she was doing Makoto moved over to him. He looks so cute when he's sleeping, she thought.  
  
She leaned over, and lightly brushed his hair with her fingers. His hair was unbelievably silky. She looked again at his sleeping face, and though it was an insane risk, she bent over to lightly brush his lips with hers. She was caught totally unaware when his arms wrapped around her and pulled her into an amazingly deep kiss.  
  
Makoto squeaked in surprise when he pulled her onto the bed to straddle him. His hands continued their thorough exploration, the feeling of him rubbing her through the silk of her night clothes was maddingly arousing. She whimpered at the contact and tried to bring herself back under control. His hands slipped beneath her top to cup her breasts. Makoto moaned and threw her head back and forth, trying to shake off her arousal.  
  
"Stop, Konjou please stop." She begged in a tiny voice. His hands instantly halted their motions, still cupping her breasts. Makoto swallowed a cry of pleasure at the continued contact. She found it difficult to breathe, let alone gather her thoughts to speak. His eyes bored into hers, their quiet strength lending her the control she needed to explain herself.  
  
"I'm sorry for coming into your room, I didn't mean to wake you. I just, I just needed to see you again."  
  
"I was already awake Mako-chan."  
  
"I know I shouldn't hav. You were awake the whole time?"  
  
"I've been awake all night, ever since I left your room. I've been laying here awake, thinking of you. Then like a beautiful vision out of a dream, you came in. At first I though you had the wrong room. Then you came over to me. It took every bit of my willpower not to sigh when you touched me. I just couldn't resist it when you kissed me."  
  
Makoto could feel his length pressing into her, her body already reacting to the feel of it. He still hadn't moved, nor had he released her breasts. There was no way to hide her reaction to him like this. He could easily feel the tightening of her nipples, and she knew beyond any doubt the thin silk of her borrowed pants would display other evidence as soon as she stood. His eyes burned with the light of his desire, yet despite everything he still held back at her request. Makoto knew why she had come to his room now.  
  
"I can't make love to you like you want, Konjou. Not yet anyway. No matter how my body reacts my heart isn't ready. But, I'm not here to tease you. I want to help you. I know what stopping yesterday had to do to you, and I think you deserve a reward for it." Konjou's eyes widened at her words, they almost seemed to glow in anticipation. "I want you to promise not to touch me without my permission."  
  
"You have my word, I will not touch you without your permission." His voice was low and dangerously seductive. Makoto shivered at the sound of it.  
  
"Sit up." Makoto commanded. Konjou complied, and the azure silk sheet pooled at his hips. Makoto moved in behind him, wrapping her legs around his hips and carefully separating his legs with hers. Her arms wound their way around his hard muscular chest, and stroked their way down to his abs. His abs jumped with the contact, and his hiss of indrawn breath brought a smile of accomplishment to her face. One hand began to rub up and down his chest and stomach while the other continued its trek downwards.  
  
Konjou growled deep in his throat, when her hand encircled him. The air resonated with the sound causing an answering vibration deep within her. Slowly, softly she began to stroke his length. She marvelled at his size. He was well above average, not that she had seen many. While she continued the steady rhythm of stroking him, her other hand moved down to cup his scrotum. She gently rolled his testicles in her hand in time with her strokes.  
  
He whimpered at the feeling and began to move his hips in response. His whimpers took on a desperate note when she stopped her caresses.  
  
"Don't move. This is my show." He nodded his assent violently and made little sounds of relief when she again started her actions.  
  
After a few minutes Makoto began to feel hot herself. Ignoring his sounds of protest she removed her hand from his genitals and unbuttoned her top. Using only one hand it was difficult to remove it, but she managed to do so finally, without even breaking the steady rhythm she maintained on him. She sighed with pleasure at the contact of her bare breasts o his back, and lightly rubbed her nipples against him to heighten both of their arousals.  
  
Konjou's hands fiercely knotted the sheets beneath him, he had earlier taken to partially sitting on them to keep from breaking her rules and losing her touch. He began to sweat at the tension within him. Her caresses had him built to a fever pitch yet she was moving too slow to actually bring him to release.  
  
She smiled at the growling sounds that came from his throat. She knew what she was doing, there was no way he would reach orgasm until she let him, and she wanted him mad with desire, desperate to the point of begging first. It was slightly cruel while it happened, but the feeling when she finally did grant him release would more than make up for it.  
  
Deciding it was time to up the intensity a bit Makoto slid around in front of him and sat between his parted legs, her legs opened as wide as his, crossing his at the knees. Her ample breasts swayed in time with her hand movements, drawing his eyes like magnets. Again releasing his genitals she took his hand in hers and led it to her body. She teasingly stroked her nipples with his hand, then ever so slowly lowered it. She watched his eyes as she moved his hand inside her pyjama bottoms and under her panties. When his fingers brushed her already slick petals her rush of indrawn breath brought an echoing response in him. She withdrew her hand, allowing his to remain, and returned her full attention to him.  
  
He took the proffered hint and began to return her ministrations. Her already well lubricated state made it simple to slide a finger deep into her. Her inner muscles clamped down hard on his finger at the intrusion and pulled it deeper within her. Konjou groaned at the response, his manhood throbbing in sympathy. Makoto looked pointedly at his other hand, letting him know without words what she wanted. He quickly brought his other hand into play by reaching up to gently strum her hardened nipples. Makoto groaned at the sensation, and redoubled her efforts on him.  
  
Konjou grinned evilly and rotated his thumb over the moistened nub at the apex of her thighs. Makoto screamed in pleasure and her grip became almost painful. He growled in response and just managed to stop himself from rolling her underneath him. Her actions picked up speed, his breathing became short and strained.  
  
Makoto began to roll her hips with the thrusts of his fingers, her off hand abandoned his testicles to rub lightly over the head of his manhood. Konjou gave out a loud purr. He swelled in width and she could feel the muscles in it contract in anticipation of his release. His eyes clenched tightly shut. Her head began to swim from the sensation of his fingers sawing in and out of her. His hands moved at a blur, she could no longer feel his individual movements, only a long electric friction. Her breath was so short she was near to hyperventilation. Her heart pounded in her ears, she could feel her pulse in her fingers her heart beat so hard. With a cry she was sure would disturb Mina despite the soundproofing Makoto gave herself over to her orgasm, her convulsive hand movements tore the last shred of control from Konjou, spraying his essence across her hands and his sheets. Makoto looked up, tears of love and gratitude blurring her vision to lock with his glowing metallic cobalt eyes.  
  
"Kalrah." He whispered fiercely, and Makoto saw only darkness.  
  
Seconds after Makoto succumbed to the sleep spell Konjou had cast on her, Mori appeared in the room his aura blazing around him like a small star. His Platinum eyes scanned the room for any possible threat, and noted Makoto's unconscious state. The aura winked out as soon as he had assured himself of there being no threat and his angry gaze fell on Konjou.  
  
"You idiot! Why in the hell did you use magic in front of her!" Mori snarled in irritation.  
  
"Like it matters, according to you she's a Senshi anyway." Neko responded. His features melted into those the Senshi would recognise as Niccolai's.  
  
"Oh that's bright, hey you don't know it but I'm actually one of your enemies Mako-chan. Small world isn't it, I mean what are the chances that the guy you're screwing would turn out to be a primal force of the universe.. Tee hee isn't that silly" Mori finished in an irritating falsetto.  
  
"Oh that's mature Mori, and just what in the hell did you mean you think she's a Senshi, how in the hell would you know that. We promised each other not to penetrate their glamour. Answer me that huh?"  
  
Mori stalked over to Makoto, ignoring Neko's protective glare, pulled her hair off her forehead. Burning brightly on her there was a stylized green symbol, quite reminiscent of the number four.  
  
"Enkall Serru!" Neko swore in aggravation.  
  
"I know the feeling." Mori said. A chair carved of amber materialized beneath him as he sat down. "You have no idea how shocking it was to see Mina's Venus symbol, though she defiantly fits my description of a goddess of love and beauty. It's really too bad that she's actually only a mortal. No matter what their titles are they are all mortal except the little Lunari line one."  
  
"Yea, it's amazing that any of them survived this long. There has to have been what thirty or forty generations since we went to sleep, right? Shouldn't their line have gone totally mortal by now?"  
  
"I've got a theory on that, but I'd have to find whatever of Earryn's line is left to prove it."  
  
"You think it's the crystals too then? Good, if it was just me I'd have doubted it." Neko said, gently stroking Makoto's hair as she slept.  
  
"You do realize who the other Senshi have to be right?" Mori said shaking his head sadly.  
  
"Yea, that means I can't fantasize about the little blue one any more. Mako-chan would kill me for plotting to seduce one of her friends. Just who do you think is who?"  
  
"Well, the Lunari isn't tough to figure out. Usagi depends too much on the glamour, and with it mostly broken by this," he said pointing at the fading symbol on Makoto's head. "She becomes totally exposed. That of course makes Mamoru that little snot Endymion. Remind me to smack the shit out of the Earryn that gave him the crystal." Mori added thoughtfully.  
  
"You want to smack him for that, bite me, he's mine. I'm the one that got blasted with the thing."  
  
"Oh like it matters, you got over it."  
  
"I got over it?" Neko yelled. "I got over it? Do you have any idea how much that hurt? No you don't, why? Oh that's right you're immune to natural forces and nature magic, damn that's right. So until you have Mordred unleash one of his 'specials' on you, don't give me any shit about 'you got over it'."  
  
"You about done?"  
  
"Yea. So back to the who's who of the Senshi. Usa is Moon, Mina is Venus, Mako-chan is Jupiter, that makes it pretty obvious that Ami is my little water sprite. Damn, Mako would really beat my ass for it, but I'd still like to do Bad Things to Ami. Ok that leaves Rei as Mars." Neko looked at Mori and smiled. "Kinda makes you want to get her more doesn't it."  
  
"Yea, makes me want to start a Senshi scrap book, put little stars by the ones I've seduced." An evil grin crossed Mori's face as he added. "Hey Makoto is still here, I can get that star right now."  
  
"Try it and we'll find out if the planet survives your ass beating."  
  
"I was joking, I don't want all the Senshi, sure I had a few fantasies about Mars, levitation spells and a few days of free time, but I got over it."  
  
"Yea, hey that means the little girl, Hotaru is probably Saturn. Man that's funny as hell. Those guys should be down on their knees thanking me for saving them from her. If they would've pushed her to doing something the whole damn school would have been in trouble."  
  
"She probably would have let the rape her rather than expose herself as a Senshi, or destroying the school."  
  
"True, ok that's it, I'm going back and finishing off the survivors, that just pisses me off more. The poor girl could have wiped the floor with all of them and couldn't because it would have hurt others. That so pisses me off."  
  
"That also means that I obviously didn't beat on Haruka hard enough. She has to be one of the two that tried to kill me right after I woke up. Probably the blue skirted one, what was her name."  
  
"Uranus, which makes Michiru Neptune. Kinda obvious since their lovers. But who the hell is Pluto, I mean seriously there's no one else."  
  
"Your forgetting Hotaru's other guardian, the guidance councillor Meiou-san, remember she was here today watching the match."  
  
"Yea that's right, damn that's a tight little group. What do we do about it?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea."  
  
"Neko, in just under a month they're going to try their hardest to kill us, I say we enjoy their company while we can, because once they figure out who we are, all bets on staying friends with them are gone."  
  
"So we never tell them."  
  
"Get real, were good, but eventually they're gonna figure it out. I think Ami probably already suspects something. She was looking at us weird today."  
  
"Maybe she just thinks were attractive."  
  
"It was more of an 'I'd like to take you apart and test a theory' look. If she wants to do that with people she attracted to I'll be happy I ended up with Venus."  
  
"Ouch, good point. Still, damn at least with a Senshi I wouldn't have to hold back so much. I really hate having to be that careful, it takes a lot of the enjoyment out of sex when you have to keep reminding yourself not to accidentally tear your lover apart."  
  
"You have a Senshi, her name is Makoto."  
  
"Yea, but I can still fantasize about, and it still feels weird to think of her as Ami, Mercury."  
  
"I think you should assume a completely human form Neko. Those cat urges are gonna be the death of you."  
  
"What a way to go."  
  
Neko looked at Makoto again, his hand stilled in her hair. He smiled at her and pulled the sheet up, tucking it under her chin like one would a child.  
  
"What are we gonna do about the challenge Mori." Neko asked. "There's just no way I can hurt my friends."  
  
"We take them down soft, and do our utmost not to injure them in the process."  
  
"You do realize how hard its gonna be to take down someone like Saturn or Moon without hurting them right?"  
  
"Probably about as tough as taking Venus is gonna be for me."  
  
"I could always take Venus in the fight."  
  
"Try it and we won't have to worry about saving the world." Mori said with deadly seriousness.  
  
"It was just a thought."  
  
"Well don't think it. Damn this sucks. I'm half tempted to reveal myself to her and throw myself on her mercy."  
  
"Umm no, bad idea Nature Boy. She'd rip off vital little pieces of you then toss your butt out of her life. What we need is a plan. Something to let us get our job here done, and still not piss the girls off too bad."  
  
"You get any bright ideas on that you let me know, ok?"  
  
"Yea yea, damn I come up with a great plan and you get pissy on the details."  
  
"As amusing as this conversation has been, we have something to do." Mori said suddenly serious.  
  
"I know, I was just trying to put it off as long as possible." Neko replied. "Let's get this over with."  
  
Mori held up his right hand and began to speak again, this time in his native language. "Mordred, zarafel wandei kon."  
  
Neko matched his movement and his voice joined in the chant. "Lor, zarafel wandei ker."  
  
They each brought up their off hand and continued in unison. "Jander, zarafel besitr'l kenar."  
  
Three glowing dots appeared in the air, and rapidly widened into disks of light half a meter in diameter. A face quickly came into focus in each. For the next several hours the five Primarchs conferred, their voices unknowingly intruding on the dreams of the young woman sleeping in the room. Her dreams grew dark and troubled.  
  
******** Mina woke up to the sensation of fingers running through her hair. Their gentle caress combined with an errant shaft of sunlight creeping through the blinds in the room to stir her from her dreams. She snuggled deeper into the large source of warmth at her side, and rejected the morning. It was then she realised that she wasn't at home enjoying the tail end of a very pleasant dream.  
  
Mina's eyes darted open and quickly scanned the room. It clearly wasn't hers. Though her room was also done a golden motif, this room obviously belonged to a male. That reminder brought her back to full awareness, including her memories of last night. Mina turned her head and met the gaze of her lover. The word lover sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine. She had done it. Tenjin was hers. Her mind wandered back to the previous evening and she shivered again, oh yes he was most definitely hers.  
  
She allowed her gaze to travel completely over him, it was easy given that he lay above the sheet and was still gloriously naked. She frowned slightly. She was certain he would have had several very large hickeys on obvious places. She had made certain to pay him back in triplicate for the one he gave her, but his skin was completely unmarked. She laid her hand on his side and returned his gentle caresses.  
  
"Hi." She said, her voice still husky from sleep.  
  
"Hello yourself beautiful." He said and leaned over to kiss her softly on the lips. "I love looking at you while you sleep." He said simply.  
  
"Have you been awake long." She inquired.  
  
"Not long enough to get my fill of looking at you." He said as he pulled the sheet down away from her. His eyes swept her from head to toe. She trembled under the caress of his gaze. She could almost feel his eyes roaming over her. "What in the world did I do to deserve someone as wonderful as you?"  
  
"Oh I don't know, let me think about it." She said with a grin  
  
"Ok, you dwell on that, I'll just start breakfast."  
  
"Ohhh," she squealed, "breakfast sounds nice, what are we having?"  
  
"Mina."  
  
"Yes Tenjin?"  
  
"No, Mina, that's what I'm having for breakfast." With that Tenjin drew her into a deep kiss.  
  
********  
  
Makoto started awake. The blinds on the window showed a light behind the, letting her know that the sun had risen on a new day. Konjou lay curled beside her, a look of intense concentration on his face.  
  
"Hey." He said to her when he noticed she was awake.  
  
"Morning," she said. She looked down and noticed she was still nude from last night's activities. She blushed lightly and quickly scrambled for the discarded pyjamas.  
  
"Don't bother getting dressed on my account. The view is excellent from where I am." He said as she lay face down on the bed, bent over the edge fishing for her top.  
  
Makoto reddened further and just managed to gather the silk into her hands when she felt Konjou run his palms up the back of her legs to her butt. She jumped at the contact and would have fallen off the bed had it not been for his quick grasp of her hips.  
  
"Can't have you falling, cant we." He said as she managed to turn herself over and sit up. She spotted the bottoms to the pyjamas wadded up half tucked under his pillow. Makoto was highly embarrassed by her actions in the cold light of day. She didn't exactly regret last night's activities, but facing Konjou right now was very uncomfortable.  
  
"Konjou, can you hand me my pants." She said, shyly pointing at the scrap of emerald silk.  
  
"I don't know." He said grinning. "What are they worth to you."  
  
"Konjou." She said warningly.  
  
"I think a kiss is the least I deserve for going through such monumental effort to bring you your clothing." He said reaching back to collect them.  
  
Makoto held still waiting for him to act, she wouldn't lie to him or herself by denying that she wanted it as much as he did, but she felt strange. Konjou drew her into a deep kiss, his hands instantly finding and caressing her breasts. Makoto gave a whimper of protest as her desire warred with her reason. Reason won.  
  
"Konjou, no." He pulled back and gave her a long suffering expression.  
  
"I'm beginning to think that's your favourite word." He muttered. "There's something wrong isn't there?" He asked. His expression was one that said evasions would not be tolerated.  
  
She took her time, dressing in the borrowed pyjamas before answering. "I just have some issues to deal with. It's. strange waking up in bed with a man. It doesn't matter how intimate we were last night, today I feel weird about it."  
  
"Ok, I can live with that." Konjou stood and walked to a second door in the room. "I'm going to get cleaned up real fast, there's a bathroom just down the hall you can use." With that Konjou left her alone with her thoughts, and the memory of her dreams. Makoto shivered at that. Her dreams had been plagued with odd half understood words in that strange language Konjou and Tenjin had spoken to each other. Even move vivid were dreams of Konjou with glowing cobalt eyes, instead of his actual beautiful golden brown ones. That particular dream would probably haunt her for a long time. She had seen eyes like that once, on a cat monster that had disembowelled Endymion.  
  
Makoto quickly left the room and headed to the guest room, where she had left her own clothing. Remembering the bathroom she had happened upon the night before she quickly stepped into it and began the process of washing the evidence of last night from her.  
  
******** Twenty minutes later a very refreshed Makoto made her way towards the kitchen, intent on fixing breakfast for everyone as a peace offering to Konjou. She wasn't surprised to see him already there, but Mina and Tenjin's presence was startling. Mina sat on Tenjin's lap, dressed only in a large button up shirt obviously belonging to Tenjin, laughing at something one of the boys had said. A traditional Japanese breakfast of miso, rice and tofu laid spread on the table. Mina and Tenjin took turns feeding each other bites between kisses. Makoto felt like an intruder, until Konjou noticed her in the doorway.  
  
"Hey Makoto, did you sleep well?" he asked. His gaze quickly darted to Tenjin and Mina and back to her. Obviously he was letting her decide what to tell them about last night.  
  
"Yea, the green room was gorgeous. Thanks for the loan of the pjs by the way, I left them in the bathroom."  
  
"Ok, ill handle them later. You better grab some breakfast before Tenjin eats it all." He ignored the rude gesture Tenjin negligently flipped him and served Makoto a large portion of everything.  
  
Makoto couldn't understand it. Mina should be exhausted after last night. She should be stiff, sore, even a little moody from all her exertions. At the very least she should have a few marks from it. Makoto knew Usagi took the disguise pen back during the sparing match yesterday, she had seen the exchange. So just how in the hell did Mina recover that fast?  
  
"So Mina, you look cheerful, anything interesting happen to you since we last spoke?" Makoto said with a wide grin. Mina cast a quick glance at Tenjin and blushed brighter than Makoto had ever seen.  
  
"No, no, nothing happened that you would be interested in." She lied horribly. "I mean what could have happened alone in a mostly dark room all night?" she laughed nervously." Makoto just barely managed not to choke on her miso at that statement. Tenjin was not so lucky.  
  
"You gonna be ok Tenjin?" Konjou asked as he pounded him on the back.  
  
"Yea, I'm fine. You know Mina we're gonna have to teach you how to evade questions better. A good way to answer that one would have been something like, no more than you did Makoto." Makoto blushed at his statement. "See. Now she's the one swallowing her tongue instead of me." He spoke happily. Mina smiled a wicked smile and gave Makoto a long careful look. Her thorough examination had Makoto squirming under it.  
  
"What?" Makoto finally snapped, when Mina stood behind her peering over her shoulder.  
  
"Ah hah, I know what you were up to last night, you have a humongous hickey on you that your bra isn't completely hiding!" Mina finished with a little pirouette.  
  
"What?" Makoto shouted. "There can't be." She quickly pulled on her fuku top trying to find the mark Mina spoke of.  
  
"Konjou if you put a hickey on me again I'm going to." She stopped as she realised that there was no hickey.  
  
"Busted." Tenjin said. "Good job Mina, that was truly devious. You make me so proud of you." He gathered her into his arms for a searing kiss.  
  
"This is all your fault." Makoto said to Konjou.  
  
"And just how is it my fault?" Konjou asked confused.  
  
"You knew I didn't have any hickeys and you didn't say anything."  
  
"What could I have said Mako-chan? 'No she doesn't, while we were getting intimate I can guarantee I didn't put my mouth anywhere near her breasts?'"  
  
Makoto moved her mouth soundlessly, struck speechless by his bluntness, and the fact that Mina was now looking at her and Konjou with a completely evil grin.  
  
"Well thank you Konjou." Mina said. "It would have taken me hours to get that kind of admission out of her. Now all I have to do is work on the details."  
  
Breakfast was finally finished and Makoto offered to help clean up. More to stay away from the interrogation she knew would begin as soon as Mina had her alone than out of any need Konjou had of assistance. The chore was completed with disturbing quickness.  
  
"So, where did they go?" Makoto asked Konjou as he came up behind her.  
  
"They went to 'go get cleaned up', which of course was just an excuse to have their hands on each other some more."  
  
"I really hope their taking precautions."  
  
"Precautions?"  
  
"Yea, you know like condoms, or Mina being on birth control pills or both."  
  
"Right, ummm I don't think Tenjin would have thought about that. Maybe you better remind Mina."  
  
"Oh my god I hope she doesn't get pregnant from last night. Her parents would kill her." Not to mention Artemis, Luna and the rest of the Senshi. Makoto thought.  
  
"I seriously doubt it will become an issue, but even if it did Tenjin would literally move the heavens and earth for her. She'd be just fine, and trust me, if you think I reacted badly to those little bastards yesterday, anyone trying to hurt Mina in any way at all will spend the rest of their life screaming."  
  
"I wasn't being literal about them killing her Konjou. Its just they would be very disappointed. They want the best for her, and getting pregnant at sixteen would ruin a lot of her plans for the future." Not to mention it would throw Setsuna into a tizzy. She didn't say anything about the rest of us having any kids in the future.  
  
******** "This is so beautiful, thank you Tenjin!" Mina's voice could be heard coming down the hallway. Mina walked into the room in a truly gorgeous gold sundress, and wearing a new diamond and topaz bracelet. Oddly her hair ribbon was still missing, and in its place was a thin leather string that had probably at one time served as a shoelace. She looked stunning, and Makoto felt oddly jealous. Makoto still wore her school fuku from yesterday.  
  
"Well I'd intended to give it to you before our date yesterday, but I kinda got sidetracked. A young lady as beautiful as you deserves to be seen, and in that everyone will see you." His mouth quirked slightly at the end of his statement.  
  
"When did you get this, and just how did you know my size? It fits so well it's like it was custom made." She exclaimed.  
  
"You'd be amazed at what I can get done when I set my mind to it koishii." He whispered just loud enough to be heard. "There's one more present for you by the door. It goes with the rest of it." Makoto was moved by the sweetness of the scene, when Konjou drew her into his embrace she could hardly keep from crying.  
  
"She looks so happy. I've never seen her that happy before." Makoto said looking at Mina as she literally hugged Tenjin until he turned purple. "I don't know much about his past, but for making Mina that happy I could forgive him for almost anything."  
  
"I hope that never comes to the test Mako-chan." Konjou added. "You girls are heading out aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, Mina needs to get back home, and the girls will storm your apartment soon if we don't contact them."  
  
"Do you want me to walk you home? I'd be happy to accompany you."  
  
"No, I have to walk Mina home first, and her parents would flip if they saw any boys. She probably told them she was spending the night at the Jinja."  
  
"Ok, well come on I'll walk you out." He said. At the door they were again greeted by the sight of Mina and Tenjin deep in each others embrace. Mina held her school shoes in one hand and on her feet were a beautiful pair of platinum coloured sandals, with cute little golden hearts in a line across the straps. It was the perfect compliment to the dress, though for some reason the combination of gold and platinum coloured clothing reminded her of something.  
  
Konjou pulled Makoto to him gently and kissed her. The gesture was sweet, and once again threatened to bring tears to her eyes.  
  
"Thank you for such a wonderful time, Konjou."  
  
The girls left them standing at the front door and began their long trek down the stairs. Their voices easily carried back to them as they stopped at the next landing.  
  
"Oh my god Makoto he's perfect." Mina said to Makoto once they believed they were out of earshot of the boys.  
  
"So I take it your date went well?"  
  
"Oh it more than went well, it was just perfect." She said, her eyes starry with remembrance. "He's the perfect boy I've always dreamed of."  
  
At the doorway to their apartment, Tenjin swelled with pride at her assessment. Then her voice continued.  
  
"He is so kind," A picture appeared in his head of the destruction of the Taryn, his wholesale slaughter of an entire race, all because their leaders had chosen to make war on one of his favoured peoples. The entire race had died in a single day, innocent and guilty alike. He had made his statement to the rest of the sentients, but the cost had been horrific.  
  
"And caring," she continued. Again an image arose of him standing with the other Primarchs, discussing the survival of another world. One of Jander's plagues had ravaged it unchecked, the magics of the Ulterran were no use against the powers of the Primarchs. Neko had complained that there had to have been some other way to end the imbalance of forces, but his own voice overrode the objection. "For every life there is an end, even ours. It is our job to keep things in balance, not to question why. Jander's methods may seem over the top to you, but he simply did what had to be done. Keep your personal feelings out of it Neko."  
  
"And I just know he'd never hurt me." The memory of drawing her spirit into his Invulnerability Field and placing an Agony Binding on her struck him.  
  
"I think I'm falling in love with him. Real love, not the schoolgirl crushes I've had before. I can easily imagine spending the rest of my life with him." Mori felt sick. He looked at Neko with a bleak expression.  
  
"I am such a fraud." He whispered fiercely. "No matter what else happens I'm going to find some way to make all this up to her when we're done. I swear that to Dallak." Mori shifted to his primary form, and teleported away.  
  
Neko sighed, this is what happens from adopting a truly human form. Their emotions become nearly impossible to control, he thought sadly. Mori needed some time to himself, he looked like he was ready to do something drastic.  
  
******** "So why are we going to Mamoru's apartment?" Makoto asked.  
  
"We need to get Usagi home before her dad figures out where she spent the night. Remember an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Makoto was so stunned that Mina had managed to get the idiom correct that she tripped and fell. "Are you ok Mako-chan?" she asked.  
  
"Hai, hai, Wow Mina, you said that correctly."  
  
"I did, wow isn't that funny." She said and knocked on the door to Mamoru's apartment.  
  
"Speaking of prevention, what are you doing about birth control Mina."  
  
"Nothing." Makoto began to sputter in amazement.  
  
"Isn't that kind of risky?"  
  
"No, we've been to Crystal Tokyo, we know the future. I didn't have any children or I know I would have sent them back to the past with Chibi- Usa. There's just no way I would have left my children in a war zone. That means I don't have any and there isn't any reason to worry about it." She finished. Her logic was undeniable, and reminded Makoto more of the way she acted as Sailor Venus. Makoto shook her head in wonder at the strange behaviour of her friend. "Besides," Mina added. "If I do somehow manage to get pregnant despite everything, I know Tenjin will stay with me. He's perfect Mako-chan."  
  
Makoto had barely absorbed this final statement when Usagi finally answered the door. She was dressed only in one of Mamoru's button up shirts, much as Mina had been earlier. She looked positively cheerful, a glow seemed to surround her and she swept her friends into a powerful hug.  
  
"Hi minna, how are you this morning!" she nearly sang with happiness.  
  
"Obviously not as happy as you," Makoto said as she took in the scene of her exuberant friend.  
  
"Speak for yourself Mako-chan." Mina said, and exchanged a look with Usagi that was far from the innocent expressions they normally wore. Usagi and Mina grinned at each other for several seconds then broke into squeals and laughter.  
  
"Oh Mina I am so glad I'm not the only one this deliriously happy today." Usagi said once again drawing the other two girls into a hug. "I need to change really quick, then we can head home to check in. How about we go to the mall after that ok?" Usagi managed to say all in one breath. Makoto heard a groan from deeper in the apartment, obviously Mamoru was far from as energetic as Usagi was. Makoto privately wondered what she did to him to make him sound like that. After a few seconds she stopped thinking about it. There were things better left unknown.  
  
Usagi disappeared for a few minutes and returned in pink shorts and a pink halter top with her overnight bag slung over her shoulder. "Bye Mamo- chan!" She called as she led her friends out the door and down the stairs. When the girls had finally stepped outside into the bright Sunday morning Mina began regaling Usagi with tales of Makoto's embarrassment.  
  
"Oh that was just mean Mina-chan, how could you." Usagi accused with a giggle.  
  
"She deserved it for walking in on me last night." Mina said. Makoto stopped dead in her tracks and paled.  
  
"You saw that?" Makoto whispered.  
  
"How could I have not seen it, I mean you brought Konjou into the room when I was naked, and you think I wouldn't have noticed? I may be a little spacey at times Mako-chan but I'm not stupid."  
  
"I am so sorry Mina. Tenjin said something weird to Konjou and I just wanted to ask him what it was. Honestly I thought you were asleep or something. You know I wouldn't have gone in there if I knew you we. well you know." Makoto explained, her voice getting quieter the further along she went.  
  
"It's ok Mako-chan. Konjou was too busy looking at your face to see me. But you have to admit it wasn't very nice." She explained.  
  
"Usagi?" Mina asked a few minutes later.  
  
"Yea Mina?"  
  
"Can I ask you a personal question, and believe me it doesn't get much more personal than this one."  
  
"Ummm you can ask, but if it's too bad I won't answer it."  
  
"Ok, thanks. Did it hurt the first time you had sex. I mean I know that they told us in sex ed class that the first time for a girl was kind of painful, but did it hurt you really bad?" Usagi thought about the question for a few moments and sighed.  
  
"If you ever tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, I'll deny it, and then have you beheaded as soon as I become queen, understood?"  
  
"Hai." Mina said  
  
"Hai." Makoto agreed.  
  
"I love Mamo-chan with all my heart, but the first time we made love he was a little too eager. He had been waiting for me for a long time, and he couldn't wait until I was ready, so when he started I was still a little, well, dry. It hurt a lot, but eventually things got better. I didn't finish that time, but he made it up to me later." Usagi finished somewhat embarrassed by the discussion.  
  
"Umm, that's not exactly what I meant Usagi-chan. What I meant was, in sex ed class they said we have a barrier in there, and its supposed to hurt when the boy breaks it."  
  
"Oh, that. Not all girls have one, girls that are really active break theirs on accident a lot, according to Mamo-chan anyway. He said I probably broke mine in a fight with a youma. I mean if a gymnast can tear hers stretching then getting tossed into a wall by a big ugly monster would probably do it just as fast. Why, did it hurt when Tenjin started it?"  
  
"Well it hurt, but not because he broke anything. I guess being a Senshi tore mine too. I wanted Tenjin to do it though. It hurt because he had to kinda work it in. It wouldn't all fit in at first." Mina replied.  
  
Usagi nodded sagely, while Makoto did her best to become invisible to the other girls. It wasn't that she was ashamed by her lack of experience with the actual final act of sex, it was that there were just things she didn't feel she needed to know. And to her, the intimate details of Usagi and Mina's sex lives were definitely on that list. After another couple of minutes of tuning them out as they walked, Usagi got her attention with a question she totally didn't expect.  
  
"So Mako-chan, how was Konjou. I mean from what Mina said you pretty much admitted to sleeping with him." Usagi's innocent expression didn't hide the steely look in her eyes. There was no way Makoto would escape without telling her princess everything.  
  
******** Its orders were simple. Arrive at the target destination, locate any and all threats to its masters' imminent arrival, and destroy said threat or die trying. In the event of its death the masters could send other scouts to further assess the opposition's capabilities. The creature stood close to four metres in height and massed well over a ton. Its slime coated green skin and vaguely reptilian features made its purpose obvious to anyone who saw it. And as usual in Juuban when a monster appeared the reaction was instantaneous.  
  
The screaming and running civilians drew members of two distinct groups of defenders. One was a pretty teenage girl with short blue hair in a very short fuku. The other was an unimaginably powerful creature as old as time itself. His stygian hair and cobalt eyes marked him as surly as the silver aura of light that surrounded him.  
  
"Girls," Ami whispered over her communicator. "We have a serious problem, I think the Primarchs just broke the cease fire. I'm A few blocks west of the Jinja and there's a really big nasty looking thing here tearing up everything in sight. Also Neko just showed up, I'm going to need back fast." Without waiting for their replies Ami moved to engage the creature. She never got the chance.  
  
"My my my, It looks like someone summoned a demodand," Neko spoke in a conversational tone. "What are you doing so far from your plane?" he asked the reptilian horror. It growled something incomprehensible and moved quickly towards Neko.  
  
"Oh really, an outrider huh? Gee that means there's gonna be more of you? Oh goodie. Did anyone ever tell you why creatures from the nexus aren't allowed to enter this plane, or have your people forgotten The Great Death?" The creature continued its snarling, and attempted to grasp the floating man in its claws. He negligently dodged its slow attacks all the while holding some sort of discussion with it.  
  
"Well demodand, I can't say its been fun, but it's been informative." And with a casual backhanding motion something flew at the creature. The flying object was very difficult to see, it looked vaguely circular, but was impossibly thin. The creature tried to dodge the, whatever it was, but failed. The disk sliced through the creatures arm. It screamed in rage and pain as it clutched the stump. Another pair of the flying disks speeded through the air homing in on the stunned creature. Its other arm and one leg were removed just as simply. Ami felt bile rise into the back of her throat. He could have used this attack at any point in his battle with the Senshi, just what could they have done against something like this? The monsters other leg and its tail were dealt with, with equal ease.  
  
Neko walked up to the dismembered body of the creature, his aura flaring brighter than she had ever seen. He reached down grabbing the monster under its chin. Blood poured from its wounds, yet it still futilely tried to snap at him. He lifted it up with one hand and backhanded it hard enough to shatter its jaw with the other.  
  
"Listen carefully demodand, when your soul returns to the nexus give my regards to Akul. Tell him I await eagerly our next meeting. The last time he tried to invade was the best exercise I've ever had. Tell him Niccolai Bastian Re wishes him a long life, we couldn't have him dying on me before I finish, it wouldn't be fun."  
  
With that Neko's aura became impossible to look at. The light became so bright that it hurt her eyes even while closed. When the light finally died down only a fine ash was left of the creature, and even that was blowing away in the light wind. Ami looked up and caught Neko smiling and waving to her, for some reason that disturbed her more than anything else.  
  
End Chapter 4 


	5. New powers Ami's Obsession

Her own scream woke her up. Makoto leaned forward curling her arms around her bent knees and began to cry. The nightmare had been terrible. It was the worst kind, being a mixture of memory and imagination. In her dream she had once again been confronted by a Konjou with cobalt eyes, yet this time he hadn't stopped when she asked.  
  
Somehow in the dream Konjou had taken on more aspects of the Primarch Niccolai. The odd language he spoke took on the sinister tones of Niccolai's magic. In the dream she had been powerless against him, he had held her with his magic and taken her. Worse, she hadn't been able to stop herself from responding. By the end of the violation the magical bonds had been unnecessary, she had been participating wholeheartedly. The shame and self loathing she felt now that she was awake was little different from what it would be, had the event of her dreams actually taken place.  
  
Makoto knew Konjou would never do anything like that to her. His reaction to the boys that tried to hurt Hotaru proved that quite nicely. More importantly Konjou couldn't do that. Despite the terrifying dreams, Konjou had beautiful brown eyes. His eyes were not the cobalt colour of Niccolai's. He was not Niccolai.  
  
Despite all her waking rationalizations, Makoto couldn't bring herself to look at the school day with anything other than dread. Konjou would be there and she didn't know if she could face him yet. That thought made her cry even harder.  
  
********  
  
Ami awoke ten minutes before her alarm as usual. After taking a quick look at the Mercury computer's log of nightly magical fluxuations, she headed to the bathroom. During her morning shower she pondered the readouts her computer had readied for her. Sometime during the night Niccolai had been active in the city, and Mordaki had been up to something fairly major. The other Senshi needed to know what was going on as soon as was practical, it was a good thing they all attended the same school now.  
  
Ami thought further on the difficulties she was having on her other task, namely proving that Tenjin and Konjou were actually the Primarchs. She absolutely had to succeed, and fast. Makoto and Mina were becoming far to involved with them for comfort. She needed proof before either of the girls did something they would regret. The simplest way would be to gather a DNA sample from one of them, probably Konjou/Niccolai. He seemed far more relaxed than Tenjin/Mordaki, and the possible repercussions of her actions should they discover her and take exception to them, had her picking the lesser of two evils.  
  
Just how she was going to get a piece of him was beyond her, but she would find a way. It was important enough to take some rather serious risks. She completed her morning necessities and dressed while still considering the problem. After deciding on a few likely possibilities she gathered her bag and began the short walk to school.  
  
Mina made it to school half an hour early, singing no less. People that knew her made warding gestures, or wondered when the pod people were coming to get them. She felt like dancing. For some reason after only having slept for three hours she awoke fully rested, in fact she awoke energized. It was a strange yet wonderful feeling.  
  
Of course she'd been bored out of her mind until she realized she still had homework that she could complete for once. Mina smiled when she thought of the likely expression on the Sensei's face when she handed it all in, on time for once. Grinning in anticipation of the day to come she took the stairs three at a time and slid into the nearly deserted classroom. Only Ami and the first period Sensei, Kibou-sensei were there. She dashed over to Ami and drew her into a laughing hug.  
  
"Ohayo gozaimasu Ami-chan!" Mina chirped to the startled blue haired girl. Mina then proceeded to giggle. She took her seat and quickly got out her books. Ami knew the world was coming to an end at that point. Mina confirmed the start of Armageddon by actually studying the chapter they were to go over today.  
  
Twenty minutes later the rest of the Inners, including Usagi entered the class as a group. Usagi looked a little ragged as usual in the mornings, but Makoto looked absolutely horrible. She appeared to have not slept well at all. She nervously looked around the classroom for something and then gave a sigh of obvious relief. Rei glanced worriedly at Makoto as they took their seats. Obviously Ami wasn't the only one to notice Makoto's actions.  
  
The warning bell had rung and the Sensei stood in preparation for the beginning of class, when Konjou and Tenjin dashed in, muttering apologies for their near tardiness. They took their seats, and Mina immediately began to stare at Tenjin to the exclusion of everything else. She wore an expression even Ami couldn't mistake. She had seen Usagi look at Mamoru like that for two years. Ami cursed as the difficulty and importance of her self imposed mission more than tripled, Mina was obviously in love with Tenjin.  
  
Strangely Makoto refused to meet Konjou's gaze. She kept her head down and muttered a polite good morning to him, in direct contrast to her exuberant greetings of him over the last two weeks. Ami quickly hoped that there had been a falling out between them. If she could convince Makoto of what Konjou was, she could help with Mina. The teacher interrupted her thoughts with a throat clearing sound designed to gather all of the student's attention.  
  
"There is an announcement from the office I'm to read to you this morning." He began without preamble. "The students that were injured in an altercation in a bathroom here on Saturday apparently have passed away. According to the hospital, a freak electrical surge in their room arced through the heart monitors of two of them sometime around three A.M., and the resultant power outage in that section interrupted the life support system of the boy in critical care. Their memorial services will be held on Thursday." With that he began his lecture.  
  
Truthfully there seemed to be little remorse for the deceased students. The truth of what had been interrupted in the bathroom had spread quickly around the school, and most believed that anything bad that happened to them was simply karma. Ami knew the truth. Konjou had decided to finish off what he started. The magical activity her computer had logged had happened at three oh four A.M., which quickly named him the culprit. Ami sighed in frustration, even if she showed the other Senshi her evidence that Niccolai caused the deaths of those boys, the others would simply cheer. Even Usagi had wanted to go to the hospital and take action against them.  
  
The class wore on, and Ami still struggled with which idea to gather the needed sample to use. It was at exactly nine A.M. when something happened to take her mind off her planning.  
  
A golden glow began to coalesce in the front of the class. The students began to scream and move away, fearing rightfully that this was some new monster. The light quickly solidified into an image of Mordaki. It was just slightly translucent, yet it appeared somewhat tangible. Its glowing Platinum eyes seemed to root the panicking students to the floor. In an echoing voice it spoke.  
  
"Attention mortals. I have information important to your continued survival for you. My name is Mordaki, I am one of those responsible for your recent troubles. Our destruction of your nuclear power facilities had side effects we had not intended. We had little idea that their destruction would so cripple you. As your society depends so heavily on electricity for its survival we have begun a way to supply it to you. We will begin the construction of an energy plant to replace the dangerous pollution causing monstrosities we neutralized. Unfortunately its construction will take three weeks. During this time the site will be highly dangerous to mortals. Any mortal approaching with one and one half kilometres of the weather station at the peak of Fuji-san will be killed, no exceptions. This sending will appear to all groups of more than five people within five hundred kilometres of Fuji-san, and anyone at all within ten. Do not test us mortals, your current peace is only a side effect of the negotiation skills of the Sailor Senshi. If you seek to break our restrictions, or even attempt to spy on the construction, we will respond, severely. You have been warned." The image seemed to stare deep into everyone, then faded.  
  
Ami looked around the room, only the other Senshi, and Konjou and Tenjin of course, hadn't fled the appearance of the image. Usagi looked irritated, Mina thoughtful, and Rei somewhat disturbed, but it was Makoto that worried Ami. Makoto simply looked terrified. Ami cast a look at the boys and noticed Konjou looked concernedly at Makoto. She found it disgusting that the Primarchs would play with the affections of young girls, and even lower that they would pretend concern for one of the 'mortals' they scorned. Ami vowed to make him pay for the emotional damage Makoto would take from finding out the truth.  
  
As the Sensei announced a short break, more to calm his own shaking then for the students, Tenjin stood and moved toward the door. Mina quickly jumped up to follow him. He staggered slightly under the Usagi- like bullet glomp, and Ami noticed he was lightly sweating. Obviously sending his image to that many people at once had strained him. Ami took note of that information. It seemed the Primarchs had limits after all.  
  
******** Mina laid her head in Tenjin's lap and ran her fingers over the bracelet he had given her. She gazed up into his eyes. He was watching her, running his fingers through her hair. They were breaking several school rules. She wasn't supposed to wear jewellery. They could try to make her take the bracelet off, about five minutes after she was dead. They weren't supposed to display affection physically like this. They were supposed to be eating lunch. Mina's untouched bento sat at her feet next to Tenjin's. She wasn't hungry. In fact she hadn't really been hungry since Saturday. Yesterday her parents had worried if she were sick, but the truth was, she had never felt so alive. As far as she was concerned she was living off her love of Tenjin, and it was more than enough for her.  
  
She leaned up and kissed Tenjin lightly, then returned to her position on his lap. She wallowed in the feeling of his fingers brushing through her golden hair. She had yet to replace her hair ribbon. Her hair was still tied back with the leather shoelace he had given her. She grinned at the thought of her ribbon, it was still tied to his headboard. He had claimed it as his. He said he wanted something he could keep there to remind him of her all the time. The thought was so sweet she had gladly given it up, despite its sentimental value to her.  
  
She could hear the other girls talking amongst themselves, but was content to remain where she was. Catching his eyes with hers she mouthed 'I love you' to him. He smiled gently at her. His fingers briefly stilled in her hair. He mouthed something to her she didn't understand, but she smiled anyway. Whether or not he said the words, Mina knew what he felt. It was obvious to the Senshi of Love.  
  
Tenjin's heart constricted in pain despite the smile on his face when Mina mouthed her feelings to him. He felt like the worst kind of monster. He cared deeply for her, but he doubted she would appreciate that much when she learned who he was. He moved his fingers to lightly trace where he had seen her Venus symbol. Now that he knew what he was looking for it was easy to sense the magic in her aura. He mouthed that he loved her in aleph, before he even realised it. Her smile of acceptance proved the depth of her own feelings. She had known what he said without being able to speak the language.  
  
Tenjin acted on impulse, and quickly whispered the spell necessary to break the Agony Binding he had placed on her. He had intended to release her from it Saturday night, but she had distracted him, literally before he got completely through the door. She shivered at the release of the magic within her and drew him closer. Though his outward expression showed none of his internal turmoil, Tenjin felt the bitter sting of futility, torn between the woman he loved, and his need to protect his home.  
  
It was ridiculous she had gone over every millimetre of his desk, and not one skin cell. Not one stray hair, nothing. There was simply no way any normal human could leave no trace of their presence. Her hunger was beginning to affect her thinking, she mused. She already knew he wasn't a normal human. In fact she knew quite well that he wasn't human at all, in any sense of the word. Just as she had finally completed her sweep of his desk and bag, the warning bell rang informing the students that lunch was over. Ami's stomach complained loudly at its mistreatment. She had skipped breakfast planning, and had wasted her lunch period. Konjou had even more of her misery added to his debt.  
  
******** Usagi giggled again. Ami looked so embarrassed. This was the third time her stomach had growled loud enough to be heard. The Sensei had even made a comment about it. Usagi giggled again as another loud growl caused Ami to snap the pencil in her hand in half in shame. While Ami dug into her bag for a replacement, the Sensei took the time to explain how healthy eating habits were essential to proper learning. Ami's face couldn't have become any redder without her passing out. For some strange reason Ami kept casting glares at Konjou. Usagi hoped she wasn't falling for him. She knew he was cute and nice, but he was Makoto's boyfriend. She would hate for Ami to make a fool of herself chasing after him.  
  
She looked at Konjou out of the corner of her eyes. He was watching her carefully. She knew he had to be confused at her reactions, she would have been well beyond confused and deep into angry if she were in his position, Makoto thought. Every time looked at him she flinched, it had to hurt his feelings, but after last night she couldn't help it. Maybe she should tell him she needed some time to adjust to what happened. He was understanding, it might not hurt his feelings as bad as she was doing right now. The poor boy must think I hate him with the way I have been acting.  
  
Makoto decided she had to talk to him. She needed the space to get over her fears, and she had to explain to him why she needed it. The idea of telling her about her nightmares depressed her. He wouldn't understand how they made her feel, but Makoto wasn't about to make the same mistake Mamoru had. He had broken Usagi's heart, and nearly lost her for good, all because he was too immature to talk to her about what was bothering him. Hopefully he had gotten over his stupidity, but she was the one with problems to deal with now. Makoto gathered her books and rushed out the door at the bell. P.E. class was next, at least there she wouldn't have to look at the hurt in Konjou's eyes.  
  
The girl's P.E. Sensei had decided that today was an ideal day to begin a short volleyball unit. Mina was practically crowing with delight. Volleyball was her favourite sport she was on the school team, and was in fact its captain. Once the class had been broken into four teams the girls split up to their respective courts. Mina grinned at the opposition. Usagi and Rei were on the opposing team. Mina couldn't wait for the match to begin.  
  
Usagi knew they stood little chance against Mina's team. Mina was a natural leader, and her own abilities on the court were excellent. Mai, a girl on her own team, made the first serve, it was quickly returned and the match was on. Rei set the ball up and Usagi leapt to deliver the spike. For several minutes the match was fierce. Usagi's team did much better than she had anticipated, though having several members of the schools team on hers helped tremendously.  
  
Rei blocked another shot from the front line of Mina's team. She cursed silently at the indignity of ending up face first in the sand that blocking it had required. Usagi managed to return it, but Mina launched it back before anyone could return to position. Things were not going well for her team.  
  
Usagi watched as Kana scored for her team, the score was currently eleven to eight, with the game point set at fifteen they needed to quickly mount a comeback. Mai set the ball and Rei drove it in a vicious spike right at Mina. Mina actually smirked as she got under it without diving, much to Rei's displeasure. Mina's block allowed one of her team mates to return the shot to a lightly defended position, and Rei was once again face first in the sand.  
  
This was pathetic, Rei thought. The score had climbed to fourteen to ten, in Mina's teams favour. It looked to Rei that Victory was inevitable. The ball fired back and forth across the net, for several minutes it never touched the ground. Finally Senna fouled the ball out, allowing possession to pass to Mina's team.  
  
Mina was ecstatic, she had recently served so she was near the centre of the front row. The serve sailed over the net to be returned by Usagi. It arced high coming quite close to the foul line, but just managed to stay inside. Cora made up for the bad serve she had made several rotations ago with a beautiful save. One the other team Senna was also made up for her earlier mistake with a ground eating return that just managed to make it over the net. The ball continued to volley back and forth. Rei's determination not to lose caused several shots that would have made Mina's team victorious to fail, causing them to have to fight ever harder for victory.  
  
Rei launched the ball back over the net, it was popped high from the back line and the return went to the middle of Usagi's team's formation. In the rush to get the save Usagi tripped over Rei's feet causing the ball to just make it over the net. Mina leapt to the ball her waist coming in line with the top of the net. She drove her hand palm into the ball. She could feel it deform under her hit, her fist sunk a good ten centimetres into its surface. The ball rocketed forward clearing the edge of the net by scant millimetres. Mai dove for it, but no one could have returned that hit. The ball drove into the sand and a loud explosion rent the air as it popped under the force of its impact.  
  
Everyone stopped and stared at the dead volleyball, and at Mina. Several girls backed away from her, their suspicions of pod people from this morning becoming more believable as the day went on. Usagi's jaw nearly touched the floor as she stared at her friend, who was herself staring at her hand in shock. The Sensei's whistle announced the end of the game and the Mina's team moved to wait for their next match, against the as of yet decided victor between Ami's and Makoto's teams.  
  
Usagi moved over to Mina, her expression one of wonder, and trepidation. Rei followed closely in her wake, concentrating heavily on Mina. Though she was nowhere near her sacred fire, Rei still possessed her spiritual abilities. They were usually sufficient to detect evil, or spiritual disturbances, and what she was beginning to feel from Mina shocked her. Mina felt powerful to Rei, far more so than she should.  
  
"Mina that was sugoi! How did you do that, I mean you jumped so high! Then you hit the ball and wham! It hit the ground and exploded!" Usagi's questions came at a blur to the still stunned Mina. She looked up at her friends her eyes filled with confusion and a bit of fear.  
  
"I don't know Usagi, I mean One minute everything was normal, and then I just got so excited and you know the rush you get. Well I saw the ball and bam! I'm really clueless." She said still slightly distant sounding. "There is one thing though." she added.  
  
"What?" Rei and Usagi added in unison.  
  
"I don't feel tired at all, I feel like I haven't even been playing."  
  
Rei and Usagi shared an incredulous look at that, they knew they were exhausted and a quick glance confirmed the rest of the players were as well. Yet as they looked at Mina, she was bouncing on her toes. She seemed peppy and ready for her next match. Ami needed to see this.  
  
Her team lost, badly, yet Ami didn't care. She had devised a fool proof plan to gather a hair sample of Konjou's. She faked a minor injury right at the end of the match, and asked the Sensei for permission to go sit down. The Sensei had readily agreed, and after being reassured that the school nurse wasn't needed, Ami was free to enact her plan.  
  
She quickly made her way inside. First she changed into her normal school fuku, in case she needed longer than expected to find which locker was his. She dashed into the boy's locker room and began her search. The smell was overpowering. The scent of males was completely different from that of females, and this room demonstrated that fact quickly. It took her five minutes to eliminate the first row of lockers as containing his. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt she would long run out of time if she continued that method.  
  
A new idea came to her. Somewhere in the Sensei's office was a list that would have the assigned locker numbers on it. It took her several minutes of trying to pick the lock to consider the possibility of just turning the handle. Feeling very foolish she began her search of the office. She finally located the locker assignments, written in the Sensei's gradebook. Curiosity had her quickly looking at the boys' grades. As she had expected, they had full marks, in fact they had bonus points. From her quick calculations they could probably skip the rest of the semester and still pass. Forcibly pulling herself away from further exploration, she moved to her prey.  
  
His locker was on the row that faced the showers. A quick scan with her computer showed her the position of the notches within the tumblers. Opening the lock then took less than five seconds. She knew her time was short the class would be coming in very soon. She tore into the contents of the locker looking for a hairbrush, a razor, anything that may have picked up some kind of traces of him. The sound of voices entering the locker room froze her in her tracks.  
  
Ami quickly shoved Konjou's stuff back into the locker and frantically looked for a way to escape. There were no other doors, there was no way out. Ami quickly came to a decision. She pulled open the door to the unused locker next to Konjou's and hid inside. She held as still as possible, breathing as lightly as she could and waited for the nightmare to end.  
  
Konjou knew something was up the instant he entered the locker room. Despite the fact that there was no perfume smell, he knew that a female had been recently or was still in here. His sense of smell was many times better than any human's could hope to be. After a second he put a name to the scent, Ami. It seemed Tenjin was right, she did suspect something. With a mental nudge at him, Konjou told Tenjin what he knew. Tenjin closed his eyes, and Konjou felt a miniscule vibration in the air. Tenjin agreed with his opinion, Ami was still here.  
  
When he arrived at his locker he nearly laughed out loud. She was trying very hard not to be noticed, and truthfully he doubted that had he been human, he would have noticed her, as it was he could smell her fear and excitement from ten metres away. He grinned to Tenjin and made a vague motion towards the locker where Ami hid. He grinned as a perfect plan to derail any more eavesdropping by her came to mind. He shifted slightly to cover nearly the entire field of view afforded by the vents of the locker, and began to disrobe.  
  
"Hey Tenjin," he said with a grin.  
  
"Yea Konjou?"  
  
"You remember when we first transferred to here?"  
  
"It was like less than a month ago, of course I remember, who do you think I am, Zy?"  
  
Konjou laughed at that. "No, I was just thinking, if it weren't for the fact that Mako-chan came on so strong, I might have picked a different girl to try to shower my affections on."  
  
"Oh, really?" Tenjin said sounding almost interested.  
  
By this point Konjou was down to just his underwear. He pulled them off, his manhood dangling a few centimetres from Ami's nose, separated only by a thin aluminium door. He reached back over his head, stretching his arms and back. He stood on his toes, bringing her vision even further into alignment with parts of him she had never considered.  
  
Ami's breathing became erratic. This was most definitely not a part of her plans. The locker was so small that the heated steam coming off the showers was making her claustrophobic. She fought hard against hyperventilation. Konjou moved to the shower a few feet from his locker, due to her inability to turn around, all she could do was watch as her carefully soaped himself down. Vaguely she could see Tenjin doing much the same thing, but her eyes were glued to Konjou. The water washed away the suds on his front side, and he turned around to rinse his hair and back. Her eyes locked onto his firm buttocks, she hardly blinked the entire time. She could feel a heat rising in her that had nothing to do with the mist.  
  
Konjou was somewhat excited, he could smell her body reacting to his nakedness. He could just imagine all the hentai thoughts that had to be swirling in Ami's mind. Once he had finished rinsing off he carelessly grabbed a town and dried off on his way back to his locker.  
  
"So," Tenjin asked when he returned a few seconds later. "Who would you have put the moves on. I know I would have gravitated towards Mina anyway, or possibly Rei." He added after only a second. From the view she received, Ami's opinion of Mina's fortitude rose dramatically, she was obviously tougher than she appeared.  
  
"Oh it would have definitely been Ami. I mean can you imagine the hentai thoughts that just have to be boiling in that mind of hers. She's just way too quiet, and you know it's the quiet ones that are the most wild when they do unwind." A lecherous grin adorned his face as he went into further detail.  
  
"I can just envision the kinky things Ami would do. First though I'd have to put her in the proper frame of mind." Konjou added.  
  
"Oh do tell."  
  
"Well, she's the kind of girl that I'd have to strip down completely naked, and slowly lick from head to toe. I mean getting in depth with the preliminaries. I'd need some massage oil, a few candles, and about two days worth of time, just to make damn good and certain she was one hundred percent primed to go."  
  
"Sounds like you've given a bit of thought."  
  
"Oh damn strait. By the time I was done with the tongue work, she'd be squirming like a lo-mein noodle. I'd have to keep a couple of gallons of water on hand just to keep her from dehydrating. Once she thought she was going to die from the licking, I'd move on to fingers and teeth. I figure, by the time she needed to be home, I'd have to pour her under the covers and have Mina call Ami's mom for her." He said with a positively evil grin. "You know, with the way Mako-chan's been acting, I think she might be wanting to break off the relationship. If that's the case, maybe I should see about getting to know Ami better. A lot better." With that he finished dressing and began to walk out of the room. When everyone else was gone he darted back to the locker Ami still hid in and knocked lightly. "The coast is clear." He said softly and left the room.  
  
Ami slowly opened the locker and stepped out. Her outfit was damp from sweat and steam, her hair had curled from sweltering dampness of the locker room. Her legs were wobbly both from her enforced confinement and her own powerful arousal. She could easily smell her own musk over the scents of the locker room. Rage and embarrassment warred with her arousal for dominance. Konjou had known the entire time that she was there. He had openly and on purpose displayed himself and taunted her with his admittedly flattering and highly provocative statements. He was going to pay for this, big time.  
  
She rushed to the girls' locker room and found it deserted as expected. She gathered her books and rushed toward the classroom. The tardy bell rang before she was even halfway there. For the first time in her entire high school career she was late to class. Her scream of frustration earned her further reprimand from her teacher when she finally did arrive.  
  
"Wow," Usagi said to Rei and Makoto. "Ami's never been late to class before. I wonder if she's ok."  
  
"She doesn't look ok." Makoto responded. "She looks pretty stressed out. I mean she's been preoccupied all day, but she looks rung out now. I wonder what happened."  
  
"Well," Rei said primly. "She did injure herself during P.E., it could just be that."  
  
"No way Rei, she only hurt her ankle, and she didn't think it was bad enough to go to the nurse about. No this is different."  
  
"I'll ask her what's wrong." Usagi said. She inched her desk as close to Ami's as she could. It was amazing that the Sensei rarely noticed Usagi's talking during class, and even more so that he didn't notice her desk's migration. On the other hand, this was history class and the Sensei tended to fall asleep more often than the students. Once she was close enough to talk without being overheard Usagi began to interrogate Ami.  
  
"Ami-chan, Ami-chan what's wrong? You look like something happened. Are you ok?" Ami hadn't moved, she hadn't answered. Usagi shook her shoulder lightly and continued. "Ami is there anything I can do to help?" she asked sincerely.  
  
"There's nothing wrong." Ami replied in a tight voice.  
  
"Ami." Usagi continued.  
  
"Usagi, noting is wrong with me that you can fix, and I don't want to talk about it. I accidentally skipped breakfast. I missed lunch doing some really important research for our side project. I'm starving to death, I've lied to my Sensei, broken half the rules in the school and been taunted in a way I can barely comprehend, let alone explain." Her voice had risen to a near shout by this time. Usagi had inched back over the course of Ami's tirade until she was near to her assigned position. Ami rose to her feet and continued at nearly full volume. "I have never been more humiliated in my entire life that I was today. I've been frustrated in every sense of the word, and I know exactly whose fault it is. I can promise you Usagi, I will not simply sit back and tolerate being treated like that. Very simply I will have my revenge for it. This is war."  
  
"That was an interesting diatribe Mizuno-san." The Sensei spoke up from the front of the room. All of the colour drained from Ami's face as it occurred to her what she had done. "I'm going to have to say something we Sensei have long had a betting pool on if it would ever happen. Mizuno- san you have detention." The majority of the class almost fainted in shock, several brought up the pod people again. Two enterprising students asked for permission to leave, under the pretext that since Mina and Ami had been taken over they didn't want to chance being next.  
  
"You're in no danger." Konjou said with a smirk once the Sensei had turned down their request. "If they have been taken over by pod people they need to be close to get you, and lets face it, no woman, not even a pod person copy of a woman would get near you two hentai." The rest of the students broke into jeering laughter at the two, and class continued on as usual.  
  
When the final bell rang, Mina bolted from her seat over to Tenjin, who had yet to even have the opportunity to move. She slid onto his lap ignoring the sputters of shock from the other students and pulled him into a kiss that made every male in the room jealous.  
  
"I have something to do after school today Ten-chan." She said idly tracing circles on his chest with her index finger. "The girls want to get together to gossip, and I have a bit of shopping to do, so I might not make it over today." Her finger drew up his chest and neck to his chin, where she used it to lightly turn his head to lock eyes with him. "Can you forgive me for being such a bad girlfriend and not coming over to see you?"  
  
"I guess I'll survive one day without you, but I don't have to like it do I?"  
  
"I really hope you don't like it. I'd really hate for you to stop wanting me around or something."  
  
"There's no chance of that happening. You do what you need to do, I'll be ok for today."  
  
"Thank you Ten-chan." She whispered in his ear. The feeling of her hot breath sent a shiver down his spine. He pulled her into one last kiss before she got up and joined her friends, with a wave goodbye the girls walked out the door.  
  
"You are so whipped, Tenjin." Oroka, one of the other boys in the class, said with a sneer.  
  
"Oroka, do you have a girlfriend? Have you ever had a girlfriend? The answer to both of those questions is undoubtedly no, with that attitude anyway. And should you continue your stupidity you will likely never have a girlfriend, at least not one you don't inflate or pay by the hour." Tenjin said. The people still in the classroom burst into laughter and loud cheering at the insult.  
  
"Oh and how do you pay Mina, by the week? She probably doesn't charge much, hell she chased after half the boys in the." Oroka's mouthing was cut off as Konjou grabbed him and held him several inches off the ground by his throat. Konjou's arm didn't even shake holding the slightly overweight boy in the air.  
  
"I believe you owe Tenjin here, and Mina even more so, an apology." Konjou's voice was as warm as liquid helium. His expression begged Oroka to continue being mouthy.  
  
"Oh do let him continue Konjou. I need to find out whether I'll need a body bag or a mop to deal with the cleanup." The other students had retreated to what they hoped was a safe distance. Tenjin had shifted into an aggressive posture. He positively radiated menace. "Now Oroka-dono," He said slipping into slightly archaic and highly formal speech. "It appears that you have slighted the honour of one that this one champions. This one formally requests your retraction and a formal apology to she who you have slighted for your atonement. Will you agree?"  
  
Konjou dropped Oroka and moved to stand in the doorway. He didn't want the idiot to try to make a break for it and end up making Tenjin even angrier. Oroka stood, his legs shaking and one hand massaging his neck. He cast a hate filled glare at Tenjin and spat at him as he spoke.  
  
"You wouldn't dare touch me Gogyou. My dad's on the school board, if you try anything he'll have you expelled faster than you can blink. Besides, I didn't do anything, you can't prove I said anything because the other guys all hate you, and would back me up." He had regained some of his bravado during his short speech, and now stood strait and proud. "We might even just take both of you down right now. You two have been acting all high and mighty ever since you got here and maybe its time we showed you we won't tolerate that kind of attitude. Right boys?" You could almost feel the silence that answered his question.  
  
His quick look around the room showed that the other boys in no way wanted to be a part of this. They well remembered Saturday, and wanted nothing to do with anyone that could do that. Since his threat had included Konjou, they were shutting up and staying out of the way.  
  
"Oroka-dono, is that your choice then. Do you choose to ignore this one's request?"  
  
"I ain't doing nothing, you can just deal with it, there's no way I'm apologizing to that little whor." Oroka never got the chance to finish the insult. The sickening crunch of his sternum snapping under the force of Tenjin's fist was a very effective interruption. Before his feet even finished leaving the ground from the impact, a second hit, this one a circle kick caught him in the jaw. He started to fly towards the Sensei's desk, which had been abandoned by the Sensei before the bell had even finished ringing, but his movement was halted by another kick. For nearly five seconds Oroka never even got the chance to hit the ground. Konjou dived at Tenjin and pulled him away finally, and Oroka's broken body landed with a wet thump.  
  
"Your apology is accepted Oroka-dono." Tenjin snarled as Konjou pulled him further away from the critically injured boy. "Dram'alle ste'ntok gend'rut fey!" Konjou paled, Tenjin was totally out of control. He had slipped into profanity, in aleph, in front of mortals. This was very bad. He knew he had to do something before Tenjin remembered he could use magic.  
  
"~Mori, Mori!, Mori!~" Konjou shouted at him in aleph. A quick look outside confirmed his fears, The sky had already filled with massive storm clouds, and the wind threatened to rip trees from the ground. He had to talk Tenjin down now, or go head to head with him on Tenjin's territory. That was never a good idea. "~Mori, think about it, how would Mina react if she found out you ripped his arms off and beat him to death with them. That's right, she'd be pissed. She's one of the Senshi, Mori. Remember they protect all humanity, even worthless assholes like him. They made a deal with us remember, no killing the mortals unless there's no other choice, or in defence of those who can't defend themselves. If you try to tell Mina you had to kill this guy because he insulted her, and you don't think she can defend herself against a worthless piece of shit like him, she's gonna beat your ass. Remember the deal, she wouldn't want this.~" The winds began to die down outside. The clouds still remained, but between the diminished ferocity of the storm and the fact that Tenjin had made no further effort to finish Oroka off, Konjou relaxed his grip on him.  
  
Tenjin grabbed his bag and headed towards the door. As he neared Oroka he reached downward faster than a striking snake, lifted the badly battered boy off the ground and pinned him to the wall.  
  
"Listen carefully ste'ntok. You have been given a reprieve." His every word was sharply bitten off, and the aleph reference to the disease infested excrement caused by buggery of a corpse, indicated Tenjin's bout of temper though dimmed was still ready to flare should anyone do or say anything stupid. "I will finish this, make absolutely no mistake about it. I swear this to you. I will feed you feet first slowly into the Nexus, that way I can listen to the music of your screams for days. Within seconds you'll beg me for death. I might just make sure that you won't ever find that escape. Do you understand?" Oroka gargled something unintelligible through his broken jaw. Tenjin tossed him to the ground and continued out the door.  
  
Konjou felt sick, the entire idea of sending a physical being into the crawling nothingness of the nexus was just wrong. The Nexus was difficult to explain, it was everywhere and nowhere. It existed outside the universe, yet intersected it everywhere. Tenjin had been the one to discover it. One of Tenjin's powers was the ability to open a doorway to anywhere. Early in the universe, Tenjin accidentally misjudged the energy needed to open one of his portals. Bad Things from the Nexus tore through the under strength walls and were released into this universe. It took weeks to round them up. Tenjin's portals appeared to penetrate the Nexus to circumvent every rule of magical transposition. They also risked releasing the Bad Things. In truth youma, damien, damodands, demodeds, and a few other of the nastier variety of supernatural creatures were very weak decedents of the true horrors of the Nexus. The Akulin were the worst, and consequently the masters. Fortunately accessing the Nexus was very difficult, unless you could create doorways like Tenjin, or were the absolute master of will magic.  
  
Konjou willed a slow regeneration spell onto Oroka. Sure he was an asshole, but without magical aid he was a dead asshole, and then the girls would be pissed. The spell would take weeks to work itself out, and Oroka could still count on having some fairly nasty scars from this little demonstration, but it would be just enough to keep him alive, and make his doctors scratch their heads in amazement at his speedy recovery. Konjou exited the room and started to track Tenjin down, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to let him wander around alone in his current mood. Who knows what he might do if anyone else irritated him.  
  
******** The girls rushed toward the Jinja. The storm had come literally out of nowhere a few minutes after they left the school, and they were now drenched and unhappy. Only Mina seemed unconcerned with the downpour, the smile she had worn since before they had left, was still plastered across her face. She was actually singing and skipping down the street, as opposed to the dark muttering of Ami, Rei and Makoto, or the babbling nervousness punctuated by terror filled yelps of Usagi.  
  
Usagi hated storms, and she most especially hated thunderstorms. This storm could have been tailor made to scare her. For the first minute or so after the clouds rolled in, there was more lightning than rain. The girls had been forced to take shelter under the awning of a nearby shop, well except for Mina who continually left its safety to stand in the rain, her face tilted up with a smile.  
  
When Makoto asked her what was up with her she replied. "I've never really noticed how beautiful a storm could be. I mean, doesn't the air being all charged with electricity make you just feel so alive?" Her response worried the other Senshi, but there was little they could do until they got to the Jinja.  
  
When the girls arrived they found Haruka's car, and Mamoru's motorcycle parked out front. Ami felt immediate sympathy for Mamoru, having obviously been caught out on his bike in this strange storm. Ami had several things she needed to do, this storm practically screamed magical, and she desperately needed to scan Mina. She wished Artemis and Luna would return from central, it was becoming impossible for her to be both a Senshi and their advisor. She had never appreciated just how much they depended on the cats, until they weren't there to be depended upon.  
  
The girls stepped into this Jinja, and were met by Mamoru and the Outers, who had towels ready for them. Ami gratefully began to dry herself off, and viciously suppressed the image of Konjou towelling himself that came to mind. It was much harder to suppress the vision of Konjou drying her off that quickly followed. Ami ignored her body's reaction to the erotic images and effect of her rubbing herself dry. She had work to do, and fantasizing about the enemy was counterproductive to say the least.  
  
Rei suggested they move into the fire room, where they would dry off more quickly, and have complete privacy. They had hardly gotten the door closed when the meeting began. Setsuna took over before any of the standard girl talk began.  
  
"We have several things need to discuss." She said without preamble. "It is my belief that your plan to buy us time to learn how to deal with our new enemies may backfire horribly, Usagi. I now have incontrovertible proof that they are in fact the Primarchs of legend."  
  
"We knew that already." Rei interrupted.  
  
"No, until now all we had, were suspicions. I now have proof." She said in an ominous voice. "The language that they were chanting in is called aleph. As Luna told you before, it was the language of the people before the rise of Atlantis and the Moon Kingdom. This," she said drawing a large book from a pack at her feet, "is one of the last tomes ever written in aleph. It is a dictionary of sorts, written a few years after the start of the Moon Kingdom. It was intended to be used as a teaching aid so that the language didn't die out. It failed miserably by the way." Setsuna took a breath and looked around the room, wishing she wasn't the one who had to tell them this.  
  
"This book details several magics from time of the Ulterran. You might be wondering why a language textbook would have spells in it. The answer is very simple. Aleph is the language of magic. I do not pretend to know how our attacks function without the phrases being spoken in aleph. In any event, I was able to determine what some of their earlier statements in aleph had been, and it proves who they are."  
  
"During the first time I encountered Mordaki, he erected a defensive barrier. That spell is actually spoken of in here. Only the Primarchs could have cast that spell. It calls on the power of the beings that created the universe to protect them from all harm, and they will not come to the aid of any one other than them. Other books I have located tell a mixed tale of the Primarchs. They supposedly sheltered the ancestors of the Moon Kingdom during a time of great need, yet the histories also indicate that they were responsible for the destruction of countless civilizations. Most of the destruction appears to be the result of Jander, but the histories report all of them having done both wonderful and terrible things over the eons."  
  
"Um, not to but in on you here, Setsuna, but just how does all that prove they're the Primarchs, I mean it's possible that the words he said weren't the real spell right?" Haruka asked.  
  
"No, that was most assuredly the Invulnerability Field but I have one other bit of evidence." Setsuna withdrew a small crystal from her bag. It was quite similar to quartz in appearance. It measured only about a dozen centimetres in length, and its base was completely flat and smooth.  
  
"This is an image crystal, their making was lost sometime in the later years of the Moon Kingdom, as the only mage capable of it was killed before he passed on the knowledge. It shows a scene from the memory of its creator, and in this case it shows something called 'The Presentation'. You probably want to see this."  
  
Setsuna sat the crystal on the floor and moved to sit down with the rest of the girls. After only a few moments the crystal began to hum slightly, and a soft silver glow wound its way up from its base to its point. Soon thereafter, an image of a beautiful reception style chamber emerged. There were many people in the three dimensional image that emerged. They all stood, obviously impatiently watching something.  
  
"When are they supposed to arrive?" A voice said from nowhere.  
  
"They said they would be here today, that's all. I do not think anyone wanted to try to demand any more precise information from them." Another responded.  
  
"I wonder what their plans are, we are dying out. It is not even slow any longer. Five of the first generation died last week alone."  
  
"I am unsure, but it appears they are going to do something rather significant, each one of them has the head of their favoured clan here. See, there is Earryn right over there, and over there, Lunari."  
  
The image in the view slowly panned over to show something odd, A man that looked very much like Elios stood a little apart from the crowd. He was dressed in highly ornate golden armour. The sword at his side seemed to be anything but ornamental, as his hand stayed close to its hilt at all times. Even through the image he carried an air of readiness and menace.  
  
The scene changed again and focused in on a stunningly beautiful woman. There was no question in their minds that this woman was in some way related to Usagi. The resemblance to their princess was uncanny.  
  
"Kami-sama," the voice again spoke. "Lunari has to be the most beautiful woman in the universe."  
  
"Yes, why do you think Konjou took her under his protection? The rumours have been flying for years that they are lovers."  
  
"I somehow doubt that. She looks to innocent to be a concubine, especially one of his. I know he is not exactly rumoured to be what we would call moral, but that girl is less than twenty. I strongly doubt he would have touched her before she was completely mature."  
  
"Well you do not really need to try to convince me. I happen to agree with you. Wow look at that, there is Kronos. It must be near time."  
  
The view again changed to that of a stately looking man in dark robes. He was very tall, towering easily over everyone else. He had very long viridian hair. The Senshi looked quickly at Setsuna, and noted several similarities. The man identified as Kronos pushed through the crowd and called out in a loud voice.  
  
"They come!" he yelled, and rapped the ground hard with the end of his staff. "They come!" Again he yelled. Lunari and Earryn came into view to stand next to Kronos. With them was another man. He had short violet hair and piercing emerald eyes. A murmur rose from within the crowd as a group of more than one hundred cats passed through them to array themselves around the four in the centre. Usagi noted that all the cats had a silver mark on their foreheads.  
  
Silver, gold, black, red and green motes of light sparkled in the air in front of them. The lights grew brighter until with a brilliant flash five men stood in the centre of the crowd. Immediately the crowd moved back, making a circle more that twenty metres in which no one other than the chosen stood. Mordaki and Niccolai were instantly recognisable to the girls, and even Usagi could easily guess that the others were the remaining Primarchs.  
  
Lor was the tallest yet thinnest of them. He had to have been more than two and a half metres in height, and looked to weigh less than one hundred kilos. His hair was a dark blond that hung in a long braid to his waist. He appeared somewhat preoccupied, as if he had other things on his mind.  
  
Jander on the other had looked like a warrior. He stood slightly taller than Niccolai, and weighed at least as much. He was positively covered in muscles, which his open green tunic did nothing to hide. He stood arrogantly with his arms crossed, a smirk played on his lips.  
  
The last wore long black robes that hid much of his form. A long crimson braid of hair trailed down his back from a classically beautiful yet cold face. His posture was difficult to explain, his stance seemed to indicate nothing of his emotions. Most of the Senshi shivered at the emotionless quality of his ebon eyes. He nodded to the others and stepped to the front of the little group. The chosen knelt before him, quickly the rest of the crowd mimicked their action.  
  
"These are the last days of the Ulterran." His melodious voice carried easily over the hushed crowd. "You all have seen the decline of the birth of your people. Instead of your own kind, your children are different, weaker, mortal. This trend will not end. Soon your race will be nearly extinct, save for a bare handful that will undoubtedly forget their origins. We can not save you from this fate, but we can save the mortals. While you fade they will rise to power, but they will do it alone." He stepped back and pulled something from his robe. Once it was completely revealed Usagi gasped, the crystal was very similar to hers, only it was jet black. Seemingly carved from a piece of obsidian, Usagi knew the true form of the Nemesis crystal.  
  
Lor continued the speech. "We will be leaving for a time, I for one do not wish to see the death of your race any more than you do. It pains us to know what we do, therefore we shall not stay. In our places we leave you a charge." "He withdrew a large red gem from within his robe, it was obviously the garnet orb. "The crystals that I and my fellows leave you will hold together what must be until we are needed again. I wish it were not so, but this will be the last time we meet. Kronos, rise and approach me."  
  
Kronos shakily stood and walked towards Lor. His expression was much like one would expect a man going to his death would wear.  
  
"Kronos, you know your offspring shall not carry your power, instead let them carry this, my orb. Within it are contained the energies to guide and monitor the flow of time. I charge you to safeguard this crystal, and time itself, from abuse. Do not seek to manipulate things yourself, only to prevent manipulation. I know the challenge this will present to you, but you must not fail."  
  
"I will not, my liege. I will faithfully stand watch until your return."  
  
"No, you will pass this duty on to your offspring, and they to theirs. Many generations will come and go before we return."  
  
Lor stepped back and Mordaki moved into his place. He bore the staff he had summoned in their last fight. His face method of dress and even his movements were absolutely unmistakeable. He radiated confidence and power, the golden aura he wore in combat around them was highly in evidence, extending further than they had ever seen it.  
  
"Earryn come forth." He commanded, his voice was again identical to the man they had fought. The Elios look-alike stood and came before Mordaki.  
  
"Yes my lord Mori?"  
  
"You the greatest of my servitors shall safeguard the crystal I have wrought." He said handing him the very familiar Golden Crystal. "Within it lies the powers of nature itself, your task is simple, never is it to fall within the hands of anyone not in your line. Nor must it ever be used. Its purpose is to maintain the balance of forces, not to abuse them. Take it to your home on my Isle of Solitude. I will sleep on the isle. Guard it well. Its shape changing powers may become necessary, if so they are yours." Mordaki patted him on the shoulder and spoke once again. "Feel free to expand the settlement on the isle, but allow the people to govern themselves. You are my hope for the future, your line will continue until far past the time of my awakening. I look forward to meeting the decedents of one of the greatest men I have had the pleasure of knowing." Mordaki stepped back and joined Lor, while Niccolai strode arrogantly into position, he held his long blue crystal staff in one hand and the Silver Imperium Crystal in the other.  
  
"Lunari, come here dear." He said pleasantly. Usagi's ancestor stood and sauntered over to him, only to stop centimetres in front of him and impishly stick her tongue out at him. He chuckled at her antics and rubbed her head in a familiar manner. "When I made this I gave great consideration into whose hands I could pass it. This Crystal bears a tremendous responsibility. Its energies are that of the heart of magic. You know my abilities and responsibilities, this crystal mimics both." He handed the crystal over to the awed girl. "You must not fall into the temptation to abuse its power. Though it grants the gift of free will, if it were to be misused it could quite easily remove it. Seek not to control others, that is not its intent. Mordred refuses to tell me if your line will retain its power until I awake, but even should they not, they must keep the crystal safe. I will never be far from you, as long as the Mau are present." He said gesturing towards the odd cats. He drew her into a hug and whispered something, for some reason they could hear the whisper, though they were certain no one else there could have.  
  
"You were always like a daughter to me, Lunari. I'm sorry that I have to leave you alone. Don't forget you promised to only marry your soulmate, whoever he is he's worth waiting for. Don't settle for anything less. I love you, daughter."  
  
"I love you too, Neko-poppa." She said with tears in her eyes.  
  
Niccolai moved next to Lor and Tenjin and watched calmly as Jander moved forward. He motioned forward with his hand and the unknown violet haired man approached. He bowed when he stood in front of Jander, and then stood with military strict posture. Jander smiled at his actions, obviously amused by the show of self control the violet haired man displayed.  
  
"Corin, you have the worst duty I could imagine about to be forced upon you. I charge you, the strongest willed of my servants, to hold this monstrosity." He pulled a large spiky emerald from seemingly nowhere. "This crystal must not remain in any one person's possession for long. Its power is far too invasive for anyone but me to handle. You are to begin finding the most noble and strong willed people you can, you are charged to see that this crystal passes from hand to hand at least once a year, or the consequences will be dire, as the powers of corruption and chaos within it consume its possessor's body and soul and leave them a twisted mockery of what they once were. I shudder to imagine what would happen to their corrupted spirit after the crystal abandoned them then, for it would leave on its own seeking new prey. The balance of the universe depends on you not failing in this mission." He turned leaving Corin to stand there staring in horror at the thing he held.  
  
"The powers of Entropy are too terrible for me to inflict on anyone." Mordred said from where he still stood holding his crystal. "Instead of seeking a guardian for my crystal, I shall hide it. Seek not this power, for it will easily consume you." Mordred chanted in aleph and used the crystal to draw glowing black marks in the air in front of him. Everything went dark for an instant and when the image returned the five Primarchs stood together, Mordred's crystal had disappeared.  
  
"Goodbye, Nobles of the Ulterran, we will remember your people forever." Mordred said, and with that seemed to dissolve into mist.  
  
"Goodbye young ones, you will be missed." Lor said and seemed to blur. He lost focus until he simply was gone.  
  
"Farewell, you were fun while you lasted." Jander mocked. Yet there was sorrow in his eyes as he vanished.  
  
"Guard the mortals like I asked Lunari. They are the future, and the only legacy the Ulterran will leave." He started to disappear and a large shadowy image of a cat radiated around him. Niccolai completed his vanishing act, leaving only the shadowy image of the cat. It yawned and faded out. Just as the last glimpse of it faded away Niccolai's voice seemed to fill the room.  
  
"No matter how old you become Lunari, you will always be my little girl I'll remember the image of the twin tails of hair you used to wear forever. I love you." Tears filled the eyes of even the stoic Setsuna at the tearful farewell of Niccolai. His words also explained the origin of something Setsuna had always wondered about. Lunari's love of her 'father' had obviously caused her to once again adopt the hair style of her youth. The strange twin pony tails of the Moon Kingdom's princesses was finally understood.  
  
"Once again I order my home to be one of peace. Let no one Ulterran or mortal break or corrupt that peace." A golden dot appeared in the air, and spiralled into a disk of light in which Mordaki stepped through.  
  
The image winked out, and the Senshi shared a look. Those were without a doubt the people they had fought against. They had suspected that before, so why was Setsuna concerned about proving it now? Usagi decided to be the one to ask her.  
  
"Setsuna, we already thought they were the Primarchs. So this doesn't really surprise me."  
  
"Usagi, let me try to make you understand. They are the Primarchs. They made the Garnet Orb. They made the Time Gates. They made the Silver and Golden Crystals. They even made the planet you are standing on. I honestly do not believe there is any hope of victory against a force like that."  
  
"There is a hope." The voice of Luna interrupted from the doorway. Both she and Artemis stood there. Their fur was matted with sweat and dust. Luna looked almost a kilo lighter than she had the last time anyone had seen her, and Artemis looked to be ready to collapse on his feet, but they both were smiling.  
  
"There is a hope." She repeated. "We found everything we could about the Ulterran in Central's archives. Believe me it was well hidden. It seems that the Ulterran had a secret. Every Ulterran has an allergy to something. The Allergy depends on the family in which he or she belongs to, and how severely it affects them depended on their own personal power. The stronger they were, the more resistant they were to their allergy, but even the strongest would be rendered as weak as a 'degenerate' if they had even the smallest bit of it in their body." Luna finished triumphantly.  
  
The Senshi looked at her, time passed without anyone responding. Two minutes later the Senshi still hadn't looked away or said anything.  
  
"What?" Luna asked.  
  
"So what is their allergy?" Haruka asked.  
  
"I don't know." All of the Senshi save Setsuna face faulted at Luna's admission of ignorance.  
  
"And just how does your lack of knowledge give us hope Luna?" Setsuna asked firmly.  
  
"It proves they can be taken down to something you can manage." Artemis said. "Look, we can give you an example. Usagi, if you would please take your princess form?"  
  
"Ok." Usagi withdrew the silver crystal and changed into Princess Serenity. "Now what?"  
  
""Hang on, Serenity-hime, this might be somewhat unpleasant." With that Artemis jumped in the air and flipped backwards. A lump of some strange dark purple metal landed on the ground a few metres from Serenity. The Princess instantly went into a faint at the appearance of the rock. All the colour drained out of her face, and she began to retch weakly. Serenity was clearly dying from the proximity of the strange stone.  
  
"Get that thing out of here!" Mina yelled, instantly taking on the attitude of group leader. Setsuna scooped up the offending stone and dropped it into the subspace pocket she kept her henshin stick in. Serenity immediately began to show improvement. All of the Senshi turned to glare at Artemis, who was in turn doing his utmost to blend in with the wall.  
  
"Just what in the hell were you thinking Artemis." Mina began the verbal flagellation of the terrified cat.  
  
"Central didn't say anything about it killing her. It said the royal family were weakened by thorium, not killed. Mina you have to believe me, I honestly didn't know." The cat begged her to understand. "You know I'd never do anything I thought would harm the Princess."  
  
"Mina, minna he' right, Central only mentioned it weakening their powers, it didn't even hint towards the effect we just witnessed." Luna interjected. The girls looked somewhat mollified, but still not happy.  
  
"That was a foolish thing to do, Artemis." Ami said. "You yourself said that the more powerful the Ulterran, the less the effect. According to Mordaki the further the Ulterran is from the first of their line, the weaker they are. Who knows how distant Usagi is."  
  
Usagi shifted back into her normal form, and curled up on Mamoru's lap. Mamoru had yet to say anything about Artemis's actions, but the look he gave the cat told him this was far from over. Luna cleared her throat and continued the briefing.  
  
"As we were saying, each Ulterran family apparently has a different allergy. So while thorium has a rather dramatic effect on Usagi, it would be completely ineffective against the Primarchs. Also fully three quarters of the known allergens were mineral based. If we had a piece of either of them it might be possible to test it against various substances to try to find their allergy." She finished  
  
"I don't think there part of the same family." Hotaru said. "Mordaki said something about being the second born, but I got the feeling he didn't mean it in the same way."  
  
"Let us assume they are of different families, does anyone have any idea how we could get a tissue sample?" Michiru asked very politely.  
  
"I'm already working on that for a project of mine." Ami said. "I have some suspicions about them having an alternate identity, and if I'm correct I'll have my proof and tissue sample soon."  
  
"Who do you think they are Ami?" Rei asked.  
  
"I can't say just yet. I would really hate to accuse someone innocent of something like that."  
  
The girls nodded in agreement and went back to their planning. Setsuna didn't like the look in Ami's eyes when she mentioned tissue sample, she looked almost violent. Setsuna watched her very carefully but saw no other evidence of hostility. More than an hour passed with little else getting accomplished. The girls agreed to begin practicing their combat abilities starting tomorrow afternoon. They couldn't practice their magical attacks without drawing unwanted attention, but their hand to hand combat, and escape and evade skills they could easily work on.  
  
Mamoru kissed Usagi goodbye and headed off to his job. Michiru, Hotaru and Haruka waved and headed off to their house. Setsuna disappeared as usual leaving only the Inners at the shrine.  
  
"Seems a little like old times when it's just us doesn't it?" Rei asked.  
  
"Yea." Usagi said distractedly.  
  
"What's wrong Usagi?" Rei questioned.  
  
"I just want to know what they really want."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"The Primarchs. If they wanted to kill everyone they could have done it. They don't need energy. They don't care about the Crystal, and they haven't even mentioned heart crystals or star seeds. They don't seem to want anything, and they aren't attacking with any of their power. We've started every fight with them. Not once have we ever seen them hurt anyone. Except us when we attack them. Even then they healed any of us that got really hurt. Niccolai healed Setsuna, Mordaki healed Endymion and Venus. Just why are we fighting them?"  
  
"Because they made a lot of people all over the world vanish. The power plants, the oil derricks, and the logging companies, all of those had people that are gone. There are thousands missing, not to mention all the people that are suffering from the lack of electricity or fuel oil. We don't know for sure if the loss of those things has killed anyone yet, but it's pretty likely that it has."  
  
"Thank you Rei. Sometimes it's hard for me. I don't really want to fight anyone you know, but if we don't fight then the bad guys make everyone else suffer. I just wish we could make them find some other way to get whatever it is they want."  
  
"They want to save the world." Mina said. "That's what they told us, and if you look at what they've done it's exactly what they're doing. They don't care about the people. They care about everything else. In a way they're a lot like us. They just want to protect something they care about, but what they want to protect is what the people we protect need to survive. It's really kind of sad. If the people of earth would just be more careful, less wasteful and destructive, then the Primarchs wouldn't be our enemies."  
  
The girls pondered the unusually deep statement for several minutes. Privately they all agreed, well all save Ami agreed. Ami was well past rationality in dealing with those two. She needed to go home and come up with some better plans to get a tissue sample of Konjou, maybe she could slip and 'accidentally' stab him with a chop stick during lunch. That would be fun. err that would work. Ami made her excuses and left for home.  
  
"Oh darn." Mina said.  
  
"What's wrong Mina?" Makoto asked.  
  
"Oh I'm late. I was supposed to go pick up some perfume I ordered from a shop over in Chiba-ku. My parents were going to take me, but they were going out tonight, so we would have had to leave early, now I have to take the train. Will you girls come with me, I really hate riding the subway alone."  
  
"Sure!" Usagi answered. The rest of the girls agreed and headed off to the train station.  
  
The Tokyo subway system was notorious for its overcrowding. With the loss of power it had gained an even seedier reputation. Many terrible things had happened in the darkened tunnels in the last several weeks. Police patrols had been supplemented by units of the JSDF, but they could hardly do more than slow the growth of the subterranean crime wave. The previous problems of women being subtlety felt up by hentai strangers, had worsened to the point that few women would ride any more. When four beautiful teenage girls got on at the Juuban south station the Hentai were so shocked they forgot to try anything.  
  
"So where's the store you ordered the perfume from?" Usagi asked as the train started underway.  
  
"Oh it's a few blocks from the Chiba west station. It's this exotic gaijin perfume shop, called Ai no Kaori. It's sugoi!"  
  
"Hey I've heard of that place." Makoto said. "The lady there special makes all the perfumes for each customer. No two scents are the same. It's supposed to be really expensive. Where did you get the money for something like that?"  
  
"I took some money from my modelling account." Mina said softly.  
  
"Mina!" Rei said sharply. "You were supposed to save that for college, what are you thinking?"  
  
"I'm thinking I won't live to see college anyway, so I might as well be happy for the time I have left. Besides, can you imagine the look on Tenjin's face when I'm done?"  
  
"Done with what Mina?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Oh, well I'm going to a spa on Friday. I'm getting the works done. Hair trim, manicure, pedicure, mud pack, everything. Saturday night when he sees me he'll be speechless, the new perfume is the icing on the cake." Rei was torn between shock at the fact that Mina got the idiom correct, and horror that Mina would spend all that money making herself look more beautiful than she already was, for Tenjin.  
  
"I don't think Tenjin believes there's anything wrong with you Mina. You don't need to do all of that. It think he loves you just how you are." Usagi said. Makoto nodded in agreement.  
  
"Yea, have you seen the way he looks when he sees you? He gets this lost look in his eyes, like he can't figure out how he lucked out and got a girl like you to love him. Every time you leave him he looks like a hurt kitten, all sad eyed and longing." Makoto added.  
  
"I know, but I need to do this for me. I want him totally speechless, I want him crazy in love with me, and I can't do that unless I feel like I'm looking my absolute best. I have to do this minna."  
  
"Ok Mina." Rei said. "I'm behind you all the way, but if he doesn't fall to his knees and worship you like a goddess after all this, I'm going to have to kill him."  
  
"Thanks Rei." Mina beamed and pulled the girls into a large hug. While they were distracted, one of the hentai had finally managed to recover himself enough to pinch Usagi's butt. By the time she turned around there was no indication of who did it. The girls moved into the corner of the car pushing their way through and crowded together in defence. With Rei and Makoto in the front scowling darkly and looking menacing they completed their ride to Chiba-ku without further molestation.  
  
"I can't believe somebody pinched my butt!" Usagi wailed as they got off the train. "I mean that is so icky! All the guys around me had to be like forty. That's like even more nasty than usual."  
  
"Calm down odango." Rei said. Her words were calculated to take Usagi's mind off what happened and focus it on indignation at being insulted by her friend.  
  
"I can't believe you're still calling me that!" Usagi wailed. Her diatribe on the injustices Rei committed against her, made her forget all about the hentai.  
  
The shop was beautiful, and delicate. They spent very little time inside, visions of Usagi accidentally tripping and destroying several million yen worth of perfume from one of the gorgeous displays of crystalline vials, made certain they hurried their purchases along. The girls then returned to the subway for the trip back.  
  
Makoto quickly pushed her way to a corner, the other girls following in her wake. Once she had secured their place she and Mina stood guard in front. Usagi tapped Mina and Makoto on the shoulder and smiled at them as they turned around.  
  
"Thank you." She said, indicating them putting themselves in the way to protect her. They were always looking out for her at their own risk. Someday soon she would find a way to make it up to them, she vowed silently to herself.  
  
Mina was turning back around when she felt someone reaching towards her. She quickly turned to confront the hentai when a bright golden flash of light erupted briefly around her. The hentai that had been reaching for her breast was thrown back by something. He slammed into the wall of the subway car, bending it horribly under the force of impact. Several others were injured by the man as he flew towards his meeting with the wall. The screams of terror and pain began a few seconds after the shock wore off. The car nearly cleared as everyone who was capable pushed through the doors to other cars, overcrowding be damned.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama what happened?" Rei asked. She like everyone other than Usagi and the Hentai had missed the source of the flash of golden light. "Did you do something to him Makoto?"  
  
"No, maybe we should see if he's ok?" she asked somewhat sarcastically.  
  
The girls checked on everyone who was left in the car. There were several people unconscious, and one man had an obviously broken arm from where the flying hentai had struck him, but most seemed far more shocked than injured. The hentai on the other hand was in serious trouble.  
  
"He needs medical attention fast." Rei noted dispassionately. She had been off to Mina's side and had seen the man reaching for her, he hadn't even been being subtle about it. She had been about to warn Mina, when he went flying. She really had no sympathy for him.  
  
A few moments later two members of the subway security pushed their way into the car and took stock of the situation. It was obvious that whoever had attacked the man was far stronger than anyone still in the car. They radioed to have medical attention waiting at the next stop, and the girls exited the train one stop early.  
  
The early departure added blocks to their walk, but gave them time to try to figure out what happened. Usagi was keeping silent about what she saw. It made no sense to her why Mina would suddenly have an aura like Mordaki's, especially since the glow appeared before she saw the hentai.  
  
"So, what happened on the subway?" Makoto asked. "I know I didn't touch the guy, and I didn't see Mina get him. So who did?"  
  
"There was a really bright golden flash." Mina said. "I couldn't see where it came from, but I saw the flash."  
  
"Yea I noticed that too." Makoto agreed.  
  
"And I did as well." Rei added.  
  
"Well." Usagi said softly, "It kind of felt like Mordaki's magic aura."  
  
"Are you sure of that Usagi." Rei asked.  
  
"Not really, I don't know if any of you have ever actually been inside that glow." Mina, Makoto, and Rei all nodded that they had. "Well, his aura feels a lot like that light, it's kind of strange feeling to me. It sort of makes me dizzy, like I'm about to fall down, or maybe be sick from it." Makoto and Rei agreed with her, but Mina frowned.  
  
"That's strange. I never felt like I was sick or anything. It made me feel sort of warm, like a blanket wrapped around me while sitting in front of a fire on a cold winter night. I agree with the dizziness, but it was more like the dizzy feeling of being too happy." Mina said softly. Makoto and Rei looked at Mina like she had lost her mind, while Usagi took on a haunted look in her eyes. Usagi had opened her mouth to say something about Mina's statement, when the screaming started up from just ahead of them.  
  
A terrifying tearing sound spilt the air, easily overpowering even the multitude of screams. The girls wasted no time in ducking into a nearby alley and powering up to face this new menace. The monster was no more than a block away, and around one corner. The streams of people fleeing from the scene made locating it pathetically easy. What they saw when they found it made their blood run cold, and Usagi was nearly ill at this sight.  
  
The monster stood just slightly taller than Usagi. It was entirely grey and had no determinant gender. Its face was dominated by two large totally crimson eyes. It had no nose and its mouth seemed more a line on its face than anything. The only clothing it wore on its almost completely featureless body was a long black cape, which moved in defiance of wind, gravity, and inertia. One of it's four fingered hands held a glowing black ball of energy while the other was drenched in blood from the young woman whose heart it had literally ripped out.  
  
Makoto didn't hesitate in the slightest. She dashed forward and once she had a line of fire, unleashed her strongest magical attack. The creature seemed to slide out of the way. The attack went wide seriously damaging a ramen shop behind it. Rei and Usagi fired their attacks simultaneously, Usagi's the creature again dodged, but Rei's attack struck it head on. The creature hardly seemed to notice the attack, but instead moved toward Rei with obvious lethal intent.  
  
Mina could see the creatures plan easily. Mars's attack was by far the quickest that had been used against it, it didn't appear to be able to get out of the way. The creature intended to disable or kill Rei now, and given the speed it had in hand to hand combat Mina didn't doubt its ability. She nodded at the other two Senshi and began her attack phrase. She could feel power she had never dreamed of before flooding her as the mystic energy gathered. The world seemed to slow down to her. Everything she saw appeared washed in an odd light. She spun around in the completion of her incantation and released the gathered energy with a blown kiss. It seemed to leave her hand in slow motion, when it was less than a foot from her the world returned to normal, sort of.  
  
Mina flew back with the recoil of her attack. The enormous force she had released tossed her like a cork in a windstorm. She flew through the air only to have her trip interrupted by a car parked on the side of the street. The door caved in and every window exploded from the force of her impact. Mina fainted from the pain, lying across the front seats.  
  
The comet like hearts streaked from Mina's outstretched hand, the screamed through the air faster than anything Usagi had ever seen. Mina's plight went unnoticed to her as she stood in awe of the results of the super powerful magic. The creature was caught totally unaware by Venus's attack. It struck it in the chest, where each heart exploded into small bursts of kinetic energy. The monster was torn apart by the force. Bits of it rained down on Mars who was so stunned by the speed and ferocity of the magic, and the deafening effects of the explosions, that she didn't even have a chance to close her mouth before monster gore sprayed her.  
  
Makoto ran to Mina, she hadn't even taken notice of the effects of the attack once she saw her friend flying backwards. She carefully removed Mina from the shattered ruin that had once been an automobile. She didn't appear to have any broken bones, but Makoto had never wished more strongly for Ami to arrive than she did now.  
  
"Sailor Moon!" she called. "Venus is down hard, she could really use some of your attention right about now." She lifted Mina and took her over to Moon.  
  
Usagi wasted no time at all in applying her healing magic. Mina groaned in pain and curled tightly in Makoto's arms. Mina's Venus symbol began to burn on her forehead. Its cast a soft golden light over her, causing her fuku to melt away and reform into the toga style dress she had worn so long ago as the princess of the planet Venus. The other girls exchanged worried glances and quickly leapt to the rooftops and headed for the Outers house. Setsuna and the cats needed to see this.  
  
The second Senshi meeting of the day was considerably smaller. Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru were out, and Setsuna saw no reason to call them back. Ami couldn't get away from her house due to her mother needing her, and Mamoru was at work. The cats arrived with Artemis beating Luna there by over five minutes. Though he cared for all of the Senshi, Artemis held a special place in his heart for Mina. He had been to one to find and train her. He felt highly responsible for anything and everything that happened to her, if she were in trouble, or in pain, he would gladly sacrifice his own life to help her.  
  
"What happened to her, Usagi?" Artemis demanded before his feet had even finished touching the floor.  
  
"We should wait for Luna to arrive." Setsuna said calmly.  
  
"Is she ok?" Artemis asked desperately.  
  
"She appears fine, though confused. She is cleaning up a bit and will be out when she is done."  
  
"Ok, I'll wait then."  
  
Luna finally arrived, and the scouts were treated to an odd scene, Artemis gave Luna a look they all recognised. Luna used it quite often on him. It was a 'we will talk about your tardiness when this is over' look. Luna appeared somewhat ashamed at the fact Artemis had arrived before her, and immediately tried to save face by taking charge.  
  
"What has happened to Mina?" Luna began.  
  
"Well," Usagi began. "We were walking back from the subway station when we heard screams, there was this really fast monster killing people. Oh it was horrible, it didn't seem to want anything from them, it just killed people. Why would it do that?" she began to wail. After a few moments she brought herself back under control and continued. "There were a bunch of dead people on the ground, the blood was everywhere. This monster had just murdered another woman when we arrived. It was very fast, almost as fast as Niccolai was when he turned into a cat creature." No one noticed Makoto shudder at Usagi's words.  
  
"What did it look like Usagi?"  
  
"It was a grey featureless thing with big red eyes and a long black cape." Makoto answered.  
  
"Yugoloth!" Artemis hissed.  
  
Setsuna stared at the cats in confusion at that reaction. Luna began growl deep in her throat, and Artemis appeared ready to go hunt for more of them himself. She had never heard of anything garnering this kind of reaction from the cats. Obviously there were things she needed to know.  
  
"What do you know about them?" Setsuna asked.  
  
"They destroyed the Mau." Luna said simply. Hatred seemed to roll off her in waves. "Artemis and I are almost the last of our kind. Our homeworld was far from here, in a different solar system in fact. When Artemis and I were kittens a terrible monster came from far away. He demanded that our elders give him something that they were guarding. They refused of course, and he left. He knew he alone couldn't fight against the magic our elders possessed. He returned a year later with a handful of those things. They are nothing but murders. In less than a month they killed all but a few of our people. We were desperate, there was no way to defeat them on our own, so our people called out to another culture, one that had in ancient times held a pact of mutual defence with ours."  
  
"Queen Serenity's mother, also called Serenity answered our plea. She appeared before the demons with her Senshi. They did terrible battle, but the Senshi were unable to kill the Yugoloth. Serenity used the Crystal to banish them back to the darkness from which they came. Their summoner, the man who our elders had refused, attacked her while she was weakened from the sealing. The Senshi tore him apart. Serenity gathered the survivors of the devastation and offered them a home."  
  
Artemis now picked up the story. He looked around the room and spoke. "The remaining adults knew our people could no longer survive without assistance. They bundled those of us that survived up and sent us away with Serenity. Where there were once billions of Mau, less than one thousand left with Serenity, and those that remained were either too old or to weak to survive the trip. Our world, once a paradise, had been reduced to a smoking ruin. Every Mau that survived made a vow of vengeance against the Yugoloth. Someday we will track them back to their home and do to them what they tried to do to us. Only we will finish the job." Artemis concluded. He still looked ready to kill.  
  
Usagi once again continued her story. "The Yugoloth dodged Makoto's and my attacks, but Rei managed to get it with hers." The cats smiled at that. "But it didn't look very hurt. Mina started to do her love and beauty shock and she was moving really fast."  
  
"What do you mean?" Setsuna asked.  
  
"She looked like a video when you hit fast forward with it playing." Usagi responded. Setsuna nodded sagely. "Well she finished her attack like that and the hearts shot away really fast. She went backwards from it and slammed into a car."  
  
"What happened to the Yugoloth?" Artemis demanded, Luna nodded in agreement with his question.  
  
"It died. She kinda blew it apart." Rei said. He face still scrunched up at the memory of the taste of Yugoloth guts.  
  
"That's impossible!" Luna shouted. "Queen Serenity's mother, with the full power of the silver crystal couldn't kill them."  
  
"Well she did." Rei responded.  
  
"She was hurt by the fall, and I asked Usagi to try to heal her." Makoto continued. "She didn't respond like normal. She sort of curled away from the magic, and her Venus symbol appeared, then her fuku turned into the dress she wore as Princess Venus during the Moon Kingdom." She finished.  
  
"The answer is obvious." Setsuna said. "As you know, the Outers are more powerful than you. There are two reasons for this. One is simply that they have always been stronger. They are the first line of defence the Moon Kingdom had against an outside threat. The second is that they are older. As you finish maturing your powers will increase. There are likely times when your powers will be many times stronger than usual as your bodies adjust."  
  
At that point Mina exited the bathroom, her dress had returned to her normal school fuku, and she looked none the worse for her little adventure. She smiled in greeting and looked somewhat shocked when both cats leapt up on to her shoulders and began to lick her cheeks.  
  
"Oh Mina I always knew you were special!" Artemis said between that Mau version of kissing a human. "What you did today has guaranteed that every Mau in the universe will do anything within their power to help you." Luna nodded so hard Mina feared her head would fall off. The cats gently leapt off her shoulders and began to rub themselves against her legs.  
  
Mina took a look around at the faces of her friends, and the strange actions of the cats, and proved to them all she was still the same Mina they knew and loved. Mina held her hand out in a V and said "It was a piece of fudge."  
  
******** Ami lay back against the pillows. Their silk covered softness felt as if she were lying on a cloud. The tiny blue teddy she wore stopped even shorter than her Senshi fuku, its azure silk blended well with the royal blue sheets. He stood in the doorway to the bathroom, his towel loosely secured around his hips. She could easily envision what he looked like without its obstruction. He moved over to the bed and smiled down at her. He knelt and ran his hands from her feet to her hips. She made little sounds of enjoyment at his actions, encouraging him to be bolder with his hands.  
  
She sat up and pulled away his towel. His manhood quickly firmed under her gaze. She reached up to touch it and he hissed with indrawn breath at her action. She smiled evilly and lowered her mouth to his manhood.  
  
Ami awoke sweating, her heart was beating faster than it ever had before, and her eyes were filled with wildness. Very little of her emotional response was anger or disgust at the thought. Ami stood on unsteady legs and went to take a shower. Her alarm wouldn't ring for over two hours, but there was no way she would trust herself to go back to sleep after a dream like that. Besides, she really needed to change her underwear.  
  
The next week at school was a nightmare for both Makoto and Ami. Neither of them could look at Konjou without remembering their dreams. Makoto found herself making excuses not to talk to him, or to visit his apartment when Mina when with Tenjin.  
  
Ami on the other hand had failed in every attempt to gather a sample of Konjou's tissue. Her dreams had kept her from sleeping enough to come up with a decent plan, and when she did finally in desperation stab him with her chop stick. The stupid thing broke without even leaving a red mark on his skin. It just wasn't fair, Ami moped to herself. The Inner Senshi were all spending the night at Rei's tonight, well all except Mina, Ami mused. Ami knew she was far too late to save Mina from making any horrible mistakes with Mordaki. It was obvious even to her now that they were lovers. Ami only hoped that Mina would be upset enough to learn that he was Mordaki to be able to fight against him.  
  
Ami had her own theories about Mina's new power, but there was almost no way to test them. What she really needed was a volunteer, someone who wouldn't mind being the other woman. Not only would it serve to drive a wedge between Mina and Mordaki, but it would also prove or disprove her theory about Mina.  
  
Mina, Usagi and surprisingly Haruka had been shocked to find that none of the other boys would get within three metres voluntarily of either Konjou or Mordaki. Apparently a boy had been insulting Mina, and had provoked Mordaki's wrath. He was expected to recover completely, but the scarring would be atrocious. Haruka had taken Mordaki to task for using excessive force, then agreed with him that the boy had 'needed a beatdown more than almost anyone ever had' they had gone on to agree that the attempted rapists had deserved it more, and had gotten everything that had been coming to them.  
  
The school day ended and Mina was waiting for them at the gates. Ami didn't know how she had managed to talk her parents into allowing her to skip school today, but her efforts at the spa had paid off. Mina looked far beyond beautiful. Ami wished she looked one tenth as good as Mina did normally, but she'd settle for one one hundredth of how Mina looked now. She was wearing the golden sundress and Platinum shoes Mordaki had given her. Her hair was tied back by a silver ribbon she had recently purchased to replace her 'missing' one. She wore her bracelet on her wrist. The suns rays sparkled off the stones in it, making her seem to shimmer in the light. Her makeup was perfect, very light and only accenting her own natural beauty. It took no imagination for Ami to picture people carving statues of her as the goddess of love. Ami took great pleasure in seeing Mordaki trip and fall as he watched Mina. Of course he wasn't the only one. One boy walked into the flag pole in the courtyard, and more than a few probably lost their girlfriends from the looks on their faces alone.  
  
Mina sauntered towards the spellbound Tenjin. She barley managed to restrain a giggle at his awestruck expression. She stopped just outside of his reach and smiled at him beautifully. Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she batted her lashes at him.  
  
"Hello stranger," she said, her voice seductive and mesmerizing. "You wouldn't happen to know where my boyfriend is would you?" she flirted playfully.  
  
"No, but if he's stupid enough to let a girl like you out of his sight, you deserve better." He said breathlessly. "How about you dump him and come out with me?"  
  
"I don't know, won't your girlfriend be mad at you?"  
  
"For a vision of perfection you are, I'll take that risk. I was going to ask her to the theatre tonight, I have these tickets, but to tell you the truth, I'd rather ask you." He stepped forward and lightly took her hand. "Mina, would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the concert tonight? I've got it on the best authority that one of your favourite musicians will be performing there."  
  
"Oh really?" she asked airily "And just who are you asking me to see perform?" she asked even though she knew quite well who it was.  
  
"Only the greatest concert violinist in the world, Keiou Michiru, the tickets were a personal gift of hers to my cousin for a service he performed for her. It would be a terrible shame to allow them to go to waste."  
  
"Oh I guess I'll accompany you, but If my boyfriend sees us I'll tell him you kidnapped me away from him and forced me to go on a date with you." She nearly giggled at their little game.  
  
"If I have to kill him to keep you I will." He said softly. He raised her hand to his lips and lightly kissed her curled fingers. "Come with me my dear." He said and led her away.  
  
"That had to be the most romantic thing I have ever seen." Usagi said with enormous tears in her eyes. "Minna why isn't Mamo-chan that romantic?"  
  
"I have no idea," Makoto said. "But it looks like her visit to the spa did wonders for her. She looked perfect." Makoto cast a covert glance at Konjou, she knew what she had to do. She just couldn't keep avoiding him without a reason. It was time she told him she needed some space. "I'll meet up with you at the Jinja in a couple of hours Usagi-chan. I have something I need to do."  
  
Makoto walked over to where Konjou stood shaking his head at the spectacle his oldest friend had made of himself. He noticed Makoto in front of him and smiled at her. He could tell something was wrong, she smelled worried, and sad.  
  
"Konjou, I really need to talk to you." She said  
  
"Ok, I'm listening Mako-chan, what do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Not here." She said. "Lets go to your place, I need to talk to you in private."  
  
Konjou wasn't foolish enough to believe that she wanted to come over for any reason other than to talk. She had none of her scent of arousal coming from her. In fact, the closer to the apartment they got, the greater the scent of dread she exuded. Makoto was clearly unhappy with whatever she had to tell him.  
  
They entered the apartment and she stood rooted to the floor of the front room. Her nervousness had reached a plateau. She couldn't sit down, so she began to wander about the room, not really looking at anything in particular.  
  
"Can I fix you something to drink Mako-chan?" He asked.  
  
"Just a glass of water please." She replied.  
  
Makoto noticed something new on the mantel, a pair of statuettes. She stepped closer to investigate and gasped aloud. The two statuettes were of Sailor Senshi. They were exquisitely well rendered. The first appeared to be made of sapphire, but Makoto believed it to be blue glass instead. It was of Sailor Mercury in the midst of casting her Aqua Rhapsody. The rendering was perfect. From the positioning of her fingers to the look of ecstasy on her face at the feeling of power rushing through her. Even a fool could see Ami when they looked at it. The other statuette was of her, facing forwards during the release of her Oak Evolution. It was made of something that seemed remarkable like emerald. It also was far too accurate. Whoever made them wasn't as hampered by their glamour as they should be.  
  
"Do you like my statuettes, Mako-chan?" Konjou said as he returned. He handed her a glass of ice water, its coolness in her hand did much to clear her head.  
  
"Yes. I was just wondering how whoever made them saw them that clearly. No one has ever really gotten a look at their faces. All the pictures I've ever seen were blurred."  
  
"Ah yes, well its really kind of silly. You see I had this dream about my friends turning out to be the Senshi, and I made those statuettes from that. You make a beautiful Sailor Jupiter, Mako-chan." Makoto felt physically ill. Dreams, all of her troubles came down to dreams. His dreams saw more clearly than he could possibly see in the real world, while hers tormented her with things that were not, and could not be. He made a beautiful pair of statues to celebrate his, she was about to destroy her relationship with him from fear of hers.  
  
"Konjou-san, I can't see you any more." She said softly. So softly he shouldn't have been able to hear it.  
  
"What have I done wrong Mako-chan." He said to her.  
  
"Its. It's not you, or anything you've done, it's me. Despite everything we've shared part of me can't accept what you mean to me."  
  
"Did I push you into something and scare you Mako-chan?" He asked, hurt coming clearly into his voice.  
  
"No, no not you, never you. I pushed me. Konjou, I love you. I know you don't love me in the same way, but I love you anyway. That's why I came on so strong to you. I just don't trust myself around you, and that hurts. Part of me blames you for my lack of control. I don't know how long it will take me to sort myself out, but I can't ask you to stay with me, when every time I pull away from my own fear, I see the hurt that I cause you. I just need some time to myself, and who knows, maybe someday when I get my head on straight, I'll throw myself on your mercy and beg you to take me back."  
  
"Oh Mako-chan," he said and pulled her into a hug. Makoto's resolve not to cry lasted less than a second once she was in his arms. They stood that way for almost an hour, just holding one another as Makoto released the feelings that she had been bottling up for over a week. Finally Makoto raised her head and kissed him lightly on the lips. The action was totally unlike any kiss they had shared before. It was one of friendship.  
  
She slipped from his arms and gave him one last look before she did the hardest thing she had ever asked herself to do. She left.  
  
End Chapter 5 


	6. War ensamble

Ami Rei and Usagi sat in Rei's room at the Jinja chatting, they were still discussing the previous school week, and the odd behaviour of Makoto. Usagi worried that something was wrong. Makoto had seemed so happy to be with Konjou, and now she could hardly look at him. She hoped Konjou hadn't done anything to hurt her.  
  
Rei only half listened to Usagi. She was still tied in knots about Mina's appearance. It hurt, Rei discovered, to feel so inadequate compared to Mina. Especially when she had finally admitted to herself the truth, she had fallen for Tenjin. She knew it was stupid. Mina had had Tenjin wrapped around her finger from the first day she met him. Rei had never had a chance. It also hurt to know that there was just no way that anyone would prefer her to Mina. Mina looked like a goddess. Rei knew that she was beautiful, but nobody other than possibly Usagi could hold a candle to Mina.  
  
Every time she saw the two of them together it twisted the knife again. He had tried to be her friend from the first time he saw her, she privately admitted. Perhaps, she thought to herself, had she been nicer to him then, she might have had a chance of capturing his heart. It was too late now. She recalled her feelings when Mamoru had been revealed to be Prince Endymion, Usagi's lover from the past. This was even worse. At least with Mamoru she had lost to destiny, with Tenjin she lost on her own. She didn't know why fate felt it would be so amusing to taunt her with feelings for men she could never have, but she wished just once that she could be the woman a man looked at with that amount of love in his eyes.  
  
Ami was fuming. Things were not going as planed. An entire week had passed since she began her efforts to gather a sample of Konjou's tissue. Thus far she had been thwarted on every attempt. She was quickly running out of options. Her silent musings were interrupted by a knock at the door. Rei called her permission to enter, and Makoto opened the door.  
  
Usagi was on her feet before the door was fully opened. The look on Makoto's face explained to Ami why, before she even had a chance to wonder. Makoto looked like hell. Her face was blotchy from tears. Her eyes were red and puffy, and the look of abject misery on her face called out to the protective urges of all her friends.  
  
"Mako-chan, what happened?" Usagi said as she pulled Makoto into her embrace.  
  
"I. I." she tried to speak, but could no longer form words. The emotional fortitude she had managed to scrape together in Konjou's arms had given out. To be fair it had lasted much longer than it should have. It had survived Makoto turning her back on the man she loved, it had made it halfway across Juuban to the Hikawa Jinja. It could hardly have been expected to survive Usagi's compassion. Large nasty monsters hell bent on destroying, enslaving and eating the world had melted under her caring gaze, promising to repent.  
  
"It's over." She managed to struggle out between sobs.  
  
"What's over?" Rei asked worriedly.  
  
Ami already had a very good idea what Makoto probably meant. In a move very unlike her normal actions Ami joined the hug Usagi gave Makoto.  
  
"He broke up with you didn't he?" Ami asked.  
  
Makoto shook her head negatively. Her sobs lessened as she tried to explain.  
  
"I. I broke up with him. I just couldn't keep hurting him like I was."  
  
"What do you mean Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.  
  
"I'm scared of him, myself and my own feelings. You have no idea how scary it is not to be able to trust yourself. I can't go as far as either of us want to. He always stops when I ask, but every time I get near him I start something. I can see how much it hurts him when I pull away from him. Not physically pull away, but pull away emotionally. I know I love him, and he loves me, but not the way I need him to." She said sadly.  
  
"I can't hurt him any more. When I avoided him this week I could see the hurt in his eyes every time. I know even though he said he understands why I broke up with him, that he really doesn't. He can't because even I don't really. I need him, Usagi-chan, I need him but I can't have him." She whispered. Her words took on the tone of a mantra, as if Makoto were trying to convince herself.  
  
"Oh, Mako-chan." Usagi said, hugging the crying girl even tighter.  
  
Ami glared at the wall, as she comforted her friend. Konjou had made his last error. Allowing Makoto to fall in love with the façade of a high school student he presented was bad enough, but hurting her like this, and even worse in Ami's opinion, making her believe it was her own fault, was unpardonable.  
  
Makoto continued to explain her actions to Usagi and Rei, but Ami had long since stopped really listening. Her mind was completely occupied with plans to make Konjou suffer. All she lacked was the opening move. She knew that soon enough inspiration would strike, and when it did Konjou would regret ever crossing the Senshi.  
  
******** Mina was having the time of her life. The candle lit restaurant he had taken her to was one of the premier of Tokyo. Going dancing afterwards was completely over the top, even for him. Tenjin was a wonderful dancer, she hardly felt as if her feet touched the floor. For once, everything was going her way, and it was perfect.  
  
Tenjin led her across the floor in a slow waltz. His steps were completely unfamiliar, but easy to pick up. The candlelight reflected off the slowly turning mirror balls, lending to the darkened dance floor the illusion of floating in space. The entire set up was quite reminiscent of a ball during the Moon Kingdom.  
  
She sighed in pleasure and allowed her head to rest on his shoulder. She could easily feel his heart beating from where she rested. He leaned his head down and brushed his lips against her temple.  
  
"Meethay kondrun assai Mina?" He whispered.  
  
"What?" she asked  
  
"I asked if you wanted to share that thought."  
  
"I was just thinking that tonight couldn't possibly get any better."  
  
"That sounds like a challenge to me Mina-chan."  
  
"I isn't. I love you, Tenjin."  
  
"Sedrul laserin Aino Minako."  
  
"What language is that, Tenjin?" She asked dreamily.  
  
"The only one my father taught me." He said simply raising her head to brush her lips softly.  
  
"You never talk about your Mother. What happened to her."  
  
"My father never mentioned me having one." He replied with a smile.  
  
"That's terrible." She said with a smile at his attempt at a joke. "Ok, if you won't tell me about your mother, tell me more about your father. What did he do?"  
  
"He was a builder."  
  
"Really, what did he build?"  
  
"Oh I'm pretty sure you've seen some of his work around here."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"It would be a lot easier just to show you. I'll take you to see some of his work as soon as I can, ok?"  
  
"Ok. You are very difficult to get a straight answer out of, you do know that right?"  
  
"Maybe so, but I've never been even slightly dishonest with you."  
  
"Hmm, Tenjin, I think I'm done dancing."  
  
"Can you promise me that you'll remember that?"  
  
"That I'm done dancing?"  
  
"No, that I've always been honest. It's very important to me, and someday I think it will be important to you."  
  
"I'll remember, I promise you." She kissed him to seal her vow.  
  
"If you're done dancing, where would you like to go now?"  
  
"Your place." She said without a hint of a blush.  
  
"Are you sure that's what you want?"  
  
"More than I can ever explain."  
  
Tenjin looked deep into Mina's eyes, searching for even a hint of doubt. Her blue gaze wavered not in the slightest under his scrutiny. He led her to their table and collected their belongings. The maître d' appeared almost instantly to settle their bill. Once outside Tenjin pulled Mina closer into his embrace.  
  
"Mina, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."  
  
"What's that." She asked dreamily.  
  
"Are you taking any precautions against pregnancy?"  
  
"Ummm, that. I don't think it will be a problem Tenjin."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yep, I'm one hundred percent safe."  
  
"Are you sure about that?"  
  
"Yep, why were you hoping to get me pregnant Ten-chan?"  
  
"No, no not that. Its just we haven't exactly been careful, and I'd hate to see you wind up having a baby before you're ready."  
  
"Well don't worry about it. I doubt you could make me pregnant if you tried."  
  
"Now that definitely sounds like a challenge."  
  
"How about we make a deal, Ten-chan, you can try as much as you like, as long as you don't succeed until I graduate."  
  
"And what happens if I succeed before then, hmm Mina-chan?"  
  
"You don't want to think about it. It would be bad."  
  
"I'll take that under advisement." He said with mock seriousness. "I take it that you mother believes you're spending the night at the Jinja?" Mina simply smiled in response. "Well then, we better hurry back to the apartment before it rains."  
  
"What do you mean rains? The sky is completely clear."  
  
"Call it a hunch."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Words were unnecessary to them as they made their way to the apartment. The trip was much shorter than Mina had expected. She just closed her eyes and leaned against him as they walked, and the next thing she knew they were at the main door to the apartment building.  
  
"That was fast." She said as they made their way up the stairs.  
  
"Yea, it did seem like a short walk didn't it?" He replied, while he unlocked his door.  
  
Once they were inside, he took her hand softly and led her towards his rooms. His expression was both loving and mischievous. She was fairly certain what was on his mind, which was just fine with her. He stopped at the door to his bedroom, a serious expression sliding down over his face.  
  
"Do you mind if I slip into something more comfortable, Mina-chan?"  
  
"Like what?" she asked somewhat confused.  
  
"Mina."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Mina, that's what I want to slip into." He said as he lifted her off her feet, and carried her through his now open door.  
  
******** He hovered above the small blue world his cousin had so long ago formed. The view was truly spectacular, but he hardly noticed. There was complete silence in the airless void around him, yet he seemed to listen to something. His head turned slightly to the side, as if angling to hear better.  
  
"Yes, the time has finally arrived. I wonder how they will feel when they find out." He said to himself, his voice carrying to his ears despite the vacuum. "Oh well, I might as well get started. It's not every day I get to meet my soulmate."  
  
In an instant he black robed man disappeared from his position above the planet, to reappear on its surface.  
  
******** This was one of the few times he envied mortals, Neko thought. If it were possible he would just get completely drunk out of his mind, and deal with his troubles after he sobered up. Say in about forty or fifty years.  
  
He floated a half dozen metres above the core of the new power plant the elementals were building at he and Mori's request. They were three days ahead of schedule and gaining already. The ambient magical energy in the area allowed the elementals to shape the stone much easier. At this pace they would finish almost a week ahead of plan. The humans would be happy to have their power back.  
  
Thoughts of humans brought his mind back to the reason he was out here tonight, instead of enjoying himself, Makoto. There were so many things working against a relationship between them. She was afraid of him, there was no way she could hide that. She needed more than he could offer her. She was mortal. She was a Sailor Senshi.  
  
That was the crux of the matter. As soon as she realised who he was, all hope of her ever coming back to him was over. It was really best that she left now, before she fell any deeper in love with him. She would already feel betrayed when she learned about him. Had they gone any further she would likely hate herself and him for all time.  
  
Maybe if I keep telling myself that I'll eventually believe it. He thought.  
  
Neko firmed his willpower, reaching into the part of him that only he of all the beings in the Universe possessed, and forcibly shaped the raw magical energy into an amazing construct. It appeared before him as a long glowing band, highly reminiscent of scrollwork. The magical construct settled onto the recently constructed inner wall of the primary energy transmuter, and burned itself deep into its surface. Once it was complete Neko nodded in satisfaction. That ward would keep anything shy of an irate Primarch from so much as scratching the wall.  
  
His attention was diverted from further contemplation of his self appointed task by a powerful magical pulse. The feel of the magic was intimately familiar, and very near his home. He considered telling Mori about it but unless he was busy with Mina there was no way he missed that. It looked like they would be having a guest soon.  
  
******** She moaned softly once again as his fingers delved deep into her. His hands and mouth had blazed a path across every inch of her already. He pulled her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. His other hand roamed her body like musician tuning an instrument, caressing her in all the right places, places she could hardly think about without blushing. Another hard wave of pleasure surged through her, bringing a short cry to her throat. She could no longer hold them back, yet their sound seemed only to encourage him to go further. She knew she couldn't take much more.  
  
Her hands were trapped under his knees, keeping her from either returning or halting his touch. Her entire body was vibrating in reaction to his hands when she finally freed herself. Instead of trying to stop his exploitation she immediately encircled his manhood with one hand and pulled herself to a half sitting position with the other. She looked deep into his eyes as she said her first recognisable words in hours.  
  
"Fuck me." She commanded.  
  
With a truly evil grin he pushed her legs farther apart, and settled himself between them. She tensed in expectation of the intrusion and cried out again when he speared deep into her with a single stroke. The feeling of being filled by him nearly took her over the edge that instant. He rocked in and out of her slowly, allowing her to adjust to his movements, all the while continuing his assault on her breasts with teeth lips and hands.  
  
Her blood heated to the boiling point. The muscles in her stomach and legs began to spasm. She could feel her release only inches away. His breathing was slow and steady. There was no way he would finish when she did, but that simply meant he would continue. Her cries took on a desperate tone, she could feel the flames just beyond her reach she strained her body, trying to get closer to him, and he plunged deeper into her than he ever had before. Her orgasm tore a long loud scream of ecstasy from her.  
  
Ami awoke shaking from her dream, her raw throat quickly confirmed her worst fears, she had been talking, or more to the point screaming, in her sleep. The other girls were wide awake and goggling at her in shock. The smell of her sexual secretions was heavy, and unmistakable in the air.  
  
"Ara." Usagi said.  
  
Makoto and Rei were simply too shocked to speak. Ami knew that their silence wouldn't last. She could have tried to escape to the bathroom, but it wouldn't have done any good. She couldn't stay there forever, and it was the middle of the night, there was nowhere to run. Ami sat waiting for the humiliation only good friends can give you to begin.  
  
"Well," Rei began, "it's obvious you were having pleasant dreams. Care to share any more of it with us?"  
  
Ami hung her head in abject misery, it had begun. She couldn't meet Makoto's eyes. How in the world could she possibly get out of telling the girls who she was dreaming about? She highly doubted Makoto would be happy to learn that Ami had been having frequent, erotic and highly graphic dreams about her boyfriend, even if she had just broken up with him.  
  
"What's the matter Ami? You were all too happy to share with us a minute ago." Rei continued. If looks could kill Rei would have needed her grandfather to perform her funeral services.  
  
"I can hardly control what happens in my dreams." Ami stated flatly. "I'm quite sure you've had more than a few nocturnal fantasies Rei."  
  
"Possibly," She equivocated, "but if I have it never happened at a slumber party." Her grin was positively demonic. "So spill, other than the obvious what happened." The other girls crowded around making escape impossible.  
  
Ami nearly growled at the intrusion. Sure, these were her best friends. Sure, she loved them like sisters, but she was embarrassed, angry, and slightly afraid of just how graphic the dream had been. Besides, she needed to change her underwear badly.  
  
"I promise to tell you more about it in the morning, ok minna?"  
  
"You won't escape without talking Ami." Makoto said.  
  
"I won't try to run, I'd just rather try to put this behind me."  
  
"Ohh, from behind?" Rei asked deviously.  
  
"Not like that hentai!" Ami nearly shouted.  
  
Ami stood and marched over to her bag. She began carelessly throwing things out looking for a change of panties. Once she found what she sought she turned to her friends.  
  
"I'll be back in a few minutes. Try to find something else to amuse you while I'm gone." She said primly. With that she marched out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. She striped her pyjama bottoms and sodden panties off as soon as she closed the door. Her pyjamas were as bad off as her panties. Ami felt like weeping. She would never, ever live this down.  
  
She turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature to something hot enough to scour the evidence of her dream from her. As she stepped under the spray of water she gave a thought to her friends' actions. She knew had it have been anyone else she would have been as curious as they were, only more tactful.  
  
She soaped herself down noticing how slick her nether regions still were. It took all of her willpower to keep herself from doing anything more than cleaning. By the time she was done her body was once again positively humming. She dried off with as little contact of sensitive places as she could and stepped into her clean panties and her pyjama top. He hardened nipples were completely obvious. She hoped, though she knew it was futile, that the other girls would think it was from being cold. Yea right, she thought to herself, its 30 degrees outside. Steeling herself to face the most embarrassing inquisition of her life Ami once again walked into Rei's room.  
  
******** Mina lay sleeping in his arms. Her golden hair was thrown over her shoulder covering her naked breasts with a semblance of modesty. Her arms lay bent in front of her. Her legs were still somewhat intertwined with his as he held her from behind.  
  
He watched her slow even breaths, a smile on his face as he allowed himself to be drawn into the memory of her loving. Mina gave so freely of her heart in this. It constantly surprised him just how much she affected him. He was very close to thirteen billion years old. He had had countless lovers since the rise of the Ulterran, but nothing he had ever experienced had prepared him for this. Being with Mina stilled restless, and lit darkened, places in his heart he hadn't even known existed. When he was near her, he felt complete, as if he had regained some part of himself that he couldn't recall losing. When she was gone, all of his doubts about the rightness of his mission, and his actions throughout his life, returned in full.  
  
He was no longer exactly stable without her, he mused as he held her. His emotions were becoming far more difficult to control. He believed the cause was quilt. In her presence the joy she gave him overpowered all else, but when she left the hidden feelings would again surface.  
  
Mina interrupted his thoughts by rolling over and snuggling deeper into his arms. The feeling of her lush softness rubbing against him awoke other urges. Tenjin wondered briefly if Mina had had enough rest for what he was planning. In less than an instant the decision was made, it was time to give Mina an unforgettable wakeup call.  
  
******** Half seven on Monday morning arrived in a blur for Ami. She woke as normal, ten minutes before her alarm and set out to prepare for her day. After her shower, she dressed in her school fuku as if she were donning armour. She had finally hit upon the perfect plan. It was her dreams that gave her the idea. It was such a simple plan she couldn't understand why she hadn't thought of it before. She was going to seduce Konjou. Not only would she be able to get the sample she wanted, but in the process she could get revenge for his breaking Makoto's heart. She grabbed her breakfast and headed out the door, with a spring in her step unseen in weeks.  
  
The girls met up outside the school. Mina had already attached herself to Tenjin's arm, and Makoto stood on the other side of the group from Konjou. The sad glances that they cast at one another when the other wasn't looking were heartbreaking. Haruka and Michiru seemed in deep conversation with Mina, Tenjin, and Konjou. The topic of conversation was music.  
  
"So you say that you actually play then?" Michiru asked politely.  
  
"Yea, I spent a long time learning how to play the hammered dulcimer, and Konjou here can play just about anything with strings." Tenjin responded.  
  
Konjou looked as if he wanted to add something but held back. Haruka smiled at the love shining so brightly in Mina's eyes. She was happy for Mina, even though she knew Mina would far outlive any lovers she took. She seemed to almost glow with happiness recently.  
  
".have to get together and play sometime." Konjou was saying.  
  
"I would very much like that." Michiru agreed.  
  
"Ohhh. I really don't like those boys." Hotaru commented looking away from the gathering of friends.  
  
About a dozen metres away, a small group of second and third year students were gathered around a young and very small boy. The boy was obviously not a part of the older group, and was equally obviously not in the crowd by choice. He seemed to be attempting to get away from them, but kept being pushed back.  
  
"Mouu, those boys do that all the time. They're always picking on one of the first year students." Hotaru complained. Everyone could tell that she had first hand experience with their adolescent torments.  
  
"I don't understand why people do things like that." Haruka said as she looked again at the group of boys. She was becoming agitated at their actions, and the girls could tell she was about to walk over and help the first year student out.  
  
"It's a condition of all sentient life," Konjou added barely glancing at the crowd. "For growth to happen there must be struggle. Strife creates the conditions for improvement. Without conflict, life would have never gotten past bacteria. That behaviour is the unfortunate side effect of the natural course of evolution. The weak in any specie get weeded out, and since humans are the top of the food chain, the have to do the weeding themselves."  
  
"That's disgusting." Michiru said, indicating both the behaviour and her opinion of Konjou's words.  
  
Haruka had taken but a single step towards the boys when Tenjin spoke.  
  
"Steth're!" Tenjin said harshly. He quickly grabbed Haruka's wrist and halted her movement.  
  
"Konjou, take a good look at that boy." He said ignoring Haruka's sputtering and futile attempts of getting loose.  
  
"Oh shit," he swore, "is that who I think it is?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
By this time Haruka was quite angry at Tenjin. He still hadn't let go, and didn't even seem to notice her attempts to free herself. Hotaru frowned at the upperclassmen, while Michiru tried to calm Haruka.  
  
"Excuse me!" Haruka almost yelled in Tenjin's face.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry." Tenjin said as he let her go. The unexpected loss of resistance caused her to overbalance and fall.  
  
Haruka muttered vile oaths as she stood and continued her plan to extricate the first year student from his tormenters. She glared angrily at Konjou when he stepped in her way.  
  
"Get out of the way Konjou." She growled.  
  
"No way Haruka, you don't want anything to do with what's about to happen."  
  
"I'm gonna stop it from happening. I hate bullies."  
  
"Look Haruka, you have no idea what your trying to get yourself into, so for your own safety, butt out."  
  
"What you think I can't take those punks?" She sneered at him.  
  
"Oh I have every confidence you could put them down before they had any idea what happened, but you still don't want in there."  
  
The argument between Haruka and Konjou quickly cleared the area around them. Only their friends remained anywhere near what looked to be shaping up into one of the worst fights the school had ever seen. The Upperclassmen could now be easily heard as they tormented the younger boy.  
  
"What are you gonna do, cry if we don't?" One of the larger boys said, his face only centimetres from the underclassman.  
  
"No," his target replied in a very steady voice, "but I'm only going to ask you one more time to leave me alone."  
  
"Oh really? Hey Kenji, I think this snot nosed little brat is getting angry, oh whatever shall we do?" He finished sarcastically.  
  
"I say we find out if he screams like a girl." Another boy taunted.  
  
Tenjin winced at the words. His body language was almost fearful. Mina knew Tenjin wasn't afraid of the upperclassmen, and though it disappointed her, seemed unwilling to help the little boy. She was at a loss to explain his nervousness.  
  
"Tenjin, I'm afraid to look, how bad is it?" Konjou said, still blocking Haruka's path.  
  
"Really bad."  
  
"What do you think he's gonna to do?"  
  
"On a guess? He already warned them to leave him alone, so he's obviously not in a good mood. I'd say he's gonna give them a few more seconds to go away, then he's gonna start ripping off arms and legs. That's assuming he doesn't just kill everyone within two hundred metres for grins."  
  
All of the girls paled at Tenjin's completely serious sounding statement. Haruka stopped pushing on Konjou's arm and began to step back. Mina clung tightly to Tenjin, and Usagi began to wail.  
  
"Last chance." The underclassman said simply.  
  
The larger boy in front of him snorted with laughter and took a swing. Less than a second later the sharp report of snapping bone echoed sickeningly through the courtyard. Haruka's eyes bugged out in shock at what she saw.  
  
The small boy stood with his hands behind his back, while his attacker stared stupidly at his arm, which was bent nearly double backwards against his elbow. Shock had obviously set in for the older boy, for he was still silent despite the obvious pain he was in. The younger boy's arms seemed to blur for an instant, and another sharp crack followed as his opponent flew backwards through the air. He landed quite some distance away and was already unconscious. Suddenly the upperclassman's friends had lost their interest in picking on the smaller boy. They ran as if they feared for their lives leaving their comrade where he landed.  
  
"Is it over?" Konjou asked once silence again ruled the courtyard.  
  
"Uh huh. Tenjin said distractedly. The little boy was walking towards them.  
  
"How bad was it?"  
  
"One probable casualty, six needing a change of shorts, and something else for people to wonder about."  
  
"Oh, that's good, it could have been a lot worse."  
  
"He's coming this way."  
  
"Ok, it's a lot worse."  
  
The little boy was now very near to the group. Haruka took a defensive posture in front of Hotaru and Michiru. Tenjin pulled Mina behind him, and Konjou stepped in front of the rest of the girls.  
  
The boy was very small, not much taller than Hotaru. He had light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was very skinny, to the point of looking underfed. His school uniform seemed to hang off of him, appearing several sizes too large. It was very hard to believe that he was old enough to be in high school.  
  
"Tenjin, Konjou, it's a pleasure to see you again." He said with a far too innocent looking smile.  
  
"Hikage, what a surprise to see you here. When did you get in?" Tenjin asked nervously.  
  
"Saturday night. I was going to go over to the apartment, but I decided to give you some warning first." His expression spoke volumes. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" He asked politely.  
  
"Oh I'm sorry. Minna this is my cousin Kisei Hikage, Hikage these are Konjou and my new friends. The tall pretty brunette is Makoto. The frowning blue haired one is Ami, the cute one with the funny hair is Usagi, the fiery tempered black haired one is Rei, and the lovely goddess on my arm is Mina. Over there, the aqua haired beauty is Michiru, and her serious looking partner is Haruka. And of course I can't forget to mention."  
  
"Hotaru," Hikage spoke softly directly to the younger girl, "my cousins have spoken often about all of you, though I must say their descriptions hardly did you justice." He reached out and gently took her hand, brushing his lips across her knuckles. She gasped when he pulled a soft pink rose from his bag and presented it to her.  
  
Hotaru blushed prettily and stammered her thanks. Haruka glared at Hikage like she would a snake, or rabid animal, as he smiled at Hotaru.  
  
"So, Kisei-san, what are you doing here?" Haruka stated more than asked.  
  
Hikage looked pointedly at his loose fitting school uniform and returned his gaze to Hotaru before answering Haruka.  
  
"Getting ready to attend an English class if I'm not mistaken." He said in passing.  
  
Haruka reddened in embarrassment and anger at the foolishness of her question, and the flippancy of his answer. She didn't like this boy one bit, and the blatant way he stared at Hotaru was making her angry.  
  
"Um Haruka? Before you do something foolishly precipitous I should finish introducing you to Hikage. Remember when you asked me where I learned self defence? He's my Sensei." Tenjin said in warning.  
  
Haruka laughed at the absurdity of Tenjin's words. There was just no way this little kid taught those two how to fight. Sure, she thought, she'd just watched him take down a bully hard, but that was nothing compared to what his older cousins could do.  
  
"Haruka-san," Hikage said still not breaking eye contact with Hotaru, "I realize that you must have difficulty believing that, but I would appreciate it if you would hold back from challenging me for a few weeks. It would do you no good to be injured in the next two weeks would it?"  
  
Most of the Senshi stood in shock at his statement. There was no way he could know about their upcoming battle. Haruka's glare intensified as she considered the implications of his words.  
  
"Hikage, how many times have I asked you not to say things like that?" Tenjin said quickly. "You'll have to excuse my cousin. You see he's always going around making predictions like that. Of course he's quite often correct, but that hardly makes up for it. Most people just don't know what to think when faced with an amateur psychic." His smile took the sting out of his words, and made most of the girls laugh softly.  
  
"Excuse me Hotaru-san, but as I have never been to this school before, I wonder if I might impose upon you to ask you to show me around?" Hikage asked her with a very formal bow.  
  
"Hai." Hotaru said in a very small voice. She was still quite red from earlier, and now seemed even more embarrassed.  
  
"Excellent," Hikage replied, "I think we should hurry along, class will be starting soon."  
  
Throughout the rest of the day and over the next week it was impossible to find Hotaru at school, without running into Hikage. They quickly became friends, though any close examination would see that Hikage was clearly trying for more. Haruka spent every spare moment either warning Hotaru how little she knew Hikage, or trying her very best to glare Hikage into submission. Neither tactic was very effective.  
  
Usagi thought the whole thing was perfect. The few times she had spoken with Hikage she found him pleasant, friendly and very polite. He was quite a bit like his older cousins, only far more formal. He seemed to instinctively know what Hotaru needed and was always doing his best to make her smile. Usagi was seriously considering asking them to invite their other cousins over. If the three of them were this perfect for her friends, and she still considered Konjou perfect for Makoto despite their current problems, then it was quite possible in her opinion that their other cousins might make more of her friends happy.  
  
According to Konjou they had an older cousin, Koden, and one a bit younger then Tenjin, Zekkou. The older cousin she would try to set up with Setsuna. Setsuna pretended to be so strong, but Usagi knew she had to be sad and lonely inside. The younger cousin she would either set up with Rei or Ami. It would all depend on what he was like, but both of them needed someone to love. Usagi resolved to talk to Konjou and Tenjin about doing just that as soon as she could get them both alone  
  
The week passed with wondrous quickness for Hotaru. Every time she turned around, Hikage had some new surprise for her. First was the little fluorite firefly pendent he gave her on Tuesday. He said it was a gift for her being kind and showing him around. On Wednesday he gave her a matching pair of earrings. Thursday saw a gift of a model of the solar system. Friday was the clincher though, he gave her a copy of the Saturn symbol, done in some odd purple metal. Sure the symbol looked like a stylized version of her initials intertwined, but there was no mistaking the meaning of his gift. He knew who she was.  
  
She really should have been worried by that, but she wasn't. He seemed completely comfortable with the fact that she was the Senshi of Destruction. He didn't appear at all worried by the knowledge that she was different from everyone else. He seemed to like her anyway. He was odd in his own way. He got every question correct, even when the teacher tried to stump him by asking something that he shouldn't have known. He was much like the Inners described Ami's ex-boyfriend Urawa Ryo. Only he didn't attempt to hide his gift. She wasn't exactly sure of what she thought about his obvious romantic pursuit of her, but the attention was flattering. She only wished he looked more like Konjou, instead of a little boy.  
  
Haruka was livid. That little brat Hikage had been sniffing around Hotaru all week, and it looked like Hotaru was encouraging him despite all of her warnings to the contrary. She had told Konjou and Tenjin to keep the brat away from her daughter, but they had actually laughed at her. They had told her if he wanted to flirt with Hotaru, they for damn sure wouldn't get in his way. Then they had said something about Hikage hurting them if they made him angry. If the entire idea weren't ludicrous she would swear they were afraid of him. That was unimportant however, she needed to find a way to convince Hotaru to stay away from Hikage before she did something completely stupid, like start to fall for the little creep.  
  
Ami opened the journal she had started when she began this plan. All of the notes she had taken in the last week on both her target's activities and the interaction of all the couples she knew. Starting on Monday she had began jotting down her observations of Konjou's activities, likes and dislikes, basically any and everything she could learn that would aid her in her seduction of him. It was the kind of information she would have more expected Mina to have gathered, but was far more complete than even the self proclaimed Senshi of Love had ever managed to collect on a boy. She had followed him everywhere she could.  
  
********  
  
Monday had seen the start of her plan. From the beginning of school until she had dashed home to sleep she had followed him. She waited for hours in the lobby of his apartment complex. Her disguise had made her unrecognisable and she used the long wait to study for the next day's classes. Unfortunately he had done nothing useful to her cause that day other than express a strong dislike for the instant ramen he had brought for lunch. Apparently both he and Tenjin had been too busy to prepare bentos that morning.  
  
On Tuesday she had forgone monitoring Konjou to watch Mina and Tenjin. She studied carefully the loving touches and secret glances. Even knowing that Tenjin was actually Mordaki did little to dim the softening she felt towards him at the way he made Mina happy. Mina seemed to almost glow with joy. Her observations did little to show her how to seduce Konjou though, as she discovered that neither Mina nor Tenjin demonstrated any need to be seduced by the other. Their romantic actions would help Ami in the later stages of her plan though.  
  
Ami did notice one odd occurrence. All day long she kept running into Rei. It seemed strange to her that Rei would be skulking behind corners, but she dismissed it as unimportant to her mission. It did intrigue her however that Rei seemed to be watching Tenjin. Ami hoped Rei suspected the same thing she did, and was watching Tenjin for proof.  
  
Wednesday went little better. Since watching an already developed relationship did little to teach her seduction, she chose to examine the interaction between Hikage and Hotaru. There was little doubt, even to Ami, that Hikage was attempting to attract Hotaru's interest. It was cute and more than a bit embarrassing to watch the innocent seeming flirtations between them. It was also obvious to her that Hotaru was highly flattered by, and a little nervous of Hikage's attention. His little presents to her were adorable, he reminded her of Urawa-kun in the way he seemed to anticipate Hotaru. She made careful note of all of their actions, but privately believed that the situations were too dissimilar for her to really use them as a template.  
  
Thursday saw her again shadowing Konjou. He was far more difficult to follow then. Instead of just remaining at home he spent the evening wandering around various shops. She learned that the boys ordered all of their groceries and had them delivered rather than dealing with the irritation of carrying them on public transportation. She also learned that they needed a healthier diet. The boys order seemed far closer to what she would have expected Usagi to make rather than a pair of near omniscient beings. She made a note to examine the data she had previously collected on their cellular and DNA structure to determine if their diet was a matter of choice or necessity. Anything she could exploit for the benefit of her mission and the Senshi she would use. Other than his shopping trip he spent several hours at the park just watching the water. She also enjoyed the view, but that had not been point of her excursion.  
  
Friday was the strangest activity for him. She had once again set out to shadow him. Directly after school he headed home and when he came into the lobby of his apartment a few minutes later she noticed that he had changed into a simple T-shirt and shorts attire. She followed him as he set out for a jog. It was sheer hell keeping up with him, but his physical activity was just within the possibility, however improbable, of what a human could do. After an hour of such activity she was sweaty and completely out of breath. He returned to his apartment and cleaned up.  
  
She had desperately wished for the chance to do the same, but her mission gave her no such opportunity. In a strange turn of events after he had already cleaned up he went to a public onsen. She had worried how to afford the exuberant fee she would have to pay to follow him inside, but the woman at the counter had simply waved her in without even charging her. She had used her time wisely. Though she couldn't monitor him as he relaxed on the men's side, she had quickly and efficiently cleaned herself and watched the men's exit as she relaxed in one of the hotter pools. He left an hour later, and Ami found when she followed that the onsen had a cleaning service. Her clothing was freshly laundered and even her shoes shined with fresh polish.  
  
He had then gone to the movies. In order not to completely collapse the Japanese movie industry theatres were allowed to be open one day a week in the energy crisis. Saturday was the day they had decided on. It was strange to think of him watching a love story like the American film "One Fine Day". Several times she had found herself so drawn into the interaction between George Clooney and Michelle Pfeifer that she forgot the real reason that she was there. As she left she again wondered at the reaction of the lady at the ticket counter. She had simply given Ami a ticket without charging her, and had in fact seemed insulted when Ami had attempted to pay anyway.  
  
She had gone home that night in complete confusion. Konjou had acted very strange that night. She had once again failed to gather any data she felt was relevant to her mission. She unlocked the door to her house and walked in, ready to fix herself a late dinner. She hadn't eaten since lunch at school and her stomach was quite forcefully reminding her of its existence. She had gotten less than a foot from the door when the knocking started.  
  
Ami looked through the peephole and saw a strange sight, standing on her porch was a delivery boy from a local restaurant. She answered the door and he simply handed her a take-out bag and walked away, again never asking for payment. Confused even more she walked inside and revealed the contents of the order. Inside she found several vegetarian sandwiches, exactly what she would have ordered had she have placed the call. Ami had just decided that her mother must have ordered out for her as a gift when she found the note.  
  
A pale blue envelope closed by a metallic blue heart sticker sat horrifyingly between two of the wrapped sandwiches. Steeling her nerves to face one of her greatest fears Ami carefully opened the note. The thick off-white paper inside was folded into three sections. When she completely unfolded it she screamed in rage. The note read 'Hope you enjoyed our date as much as I did, K'.  
  
********  
  
Ami mechanically ate the meal before her. Today was Saturday, it had been almost a full day since she realised that Konjou knew she had been following him. All of her plans were worse than useless on someone that was aware of her intent. The simple fact that he had been aware of her was unnerving. She had done everything within her power to conceal her activities. She had never followed him any closer than forty metres, and had even worn very effective disguises. She was certain he shouldn't have been able to recognise her, yet somehow he had.  
  
He had taunted her with his statement about last night's activities being a date. To her that signified that he knew her intent. She was insulted and ashamed that she had been discovered. It just wasn't fair, she concluded to herself. She had no idea how he had discovered his activities, but he had. Now she was left with but a single option. She had only one thing she could do to complete her mission. Ami left a note to her mother that she would be home late. She implied without actually saying it that she planned on assisting Usagi and Minako with studying for an upcoming mathematics exam. Once she had completed the note she called Usagi and informed her that she would be visiting her mother at the hospital and would be unable to attend the get together at the temple. With her multi-layered cover story in place Ami began her seduction of Konjou by donning an impenetrable disguise.  
  
"Mercury Crystal Power, Make Up!"  
  
******** Neko stood in the one room of his apartment visitors were unlikely to see. The magic practice room he and Mori had set up was warded heavily enough for the two of them to actually spar with one another without danger of levelling a good portion of the city, or being detected by overly enthusiastic Senshi. He swirled the wine in his glass as he watched the slow process of magical transmutation happening on the table before him. The gift he was making would undoubtedly be less than well received, but she would wear it anyway.  
  
Despite being not entirely in the same dimension as the rest of the apartment, Neko could still easily sense it when someone picked the lock on the northern balcony. He smiled with wry humour as the flavour of the intruder's aura came to him. He shifted back into his Konjou appearance as he stepped through the invisible door back into the dojo. It seemed he had a visitor to deal with.  
  
Ami used the enhanced strength and reflexes of her Sailor Mercury form to gain access to the balcony, picking the lock was a simple matter of magnetizing the latch bar and creating a small opposite polarity point of air just above it. Moments later she had access to the apartment's interior. She snuck down the hallway to the front room. There she found the choice of which of the two other hallways to take simple. She knew from Makoto that Konjou liked cooler colours. The Metallic décor of the eastern hallway was exactly as Mina had described Tenjin's rooms.  
  
As she crossed the front room to the southern hallway she noticed a group of statuettes on the mantle. There were seven of them, all done in various precious gemstones. If she had not known for certain that they were the Primarchs, this would have convinced her.  
  
There was a sapphire statuette of her, a topaz one of Mina, Usagi was carved of what appeared to be a single pearl, one of Rei made of ruby, an emerald one of Makoto. There was one of Hotaru carved of amethyst, and one of Setsuna made of a flawless garnet. The value in gemstones alone was beyond calculation. The fact that they were single piece foot high statues made their very existence an impossibility. Especially when one considered that the statues were completely lifelike. It was simply impossible to carve those kinds of curves into a single piece of gemstone.  
  
Ami shook her head at the complete obviousness of the statues. It was almost like they didn't care if they were found out, which was completely at odds with the rest of their precautions. She wondered why neither Mina nor Makoto had noticed the significance of those statues.  
  
She continued down the hallway, following her memory of the interrogation Usagi had given Makoto about her night spent here. Locating Konjou's room was trivial when she had inside information. She opened the door and slipped inside, the room was thankfully currently unoccupied. She hurriedly closed the door and began her preparations.  
  
Konjou silently followed Ami down the hall, with her totally unaware of his presence. Stealth was one of his primary gifts. Erasing his presence from observation was pathetically easy, even from her scanners. He almost laughed at the sigh of relief she released when she found his room empty. When she shut the door behind her he decided to give her thirty seconds before he entered. She did deserve a sporting chance after all.  
  
After his self imposed time limit Konjou once again allowed himself to become noticeable. Making sure to do so loudly, he casually opened the door to his bedroom. What he saw made him question his sanity.  
  
Ami stood in the middle of his room her Senshi fuku tight as always against her body. Her visor and computer were not in evidence, but he could still feel their magical probing. Her posture was that of a predator, like a lioness waiting patiently for an antelope to wander carelessly into its vision. The look on her face was frankly sexual. Konjou was at a loss for how to react. The decision was quickly taken from him.  
  
Ami nearly jumped out of her skin when Konjou pulled open the door. It took all of her willpower not to flinch as his eyes raked her form, she could almost feel him undressing her with them. When he finished his perusal he stood still, as if unsure of what to do. She gathered her courage and once again took control of the situation she had created.  
  
Ami managed to sway as she sauntered over to him. Her eyes imprisoned his like a snake would a mouse. She stopped just inside of her reach of him and quickly struck out. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, spun him around and pressed him against the wall. While he was reeling from the unexpected movement she took further advantage by pressing herself against him as she drew him into a deep kiss. Ami had very little, in fact no practical experience with the art of kissing, but she was a very quick study.  
  
Konjou was surprised, not dead. In less than a second after she inexpertly pressed her mouth against his, he began to regain control of his actions. He started asserting himself by deepening the kiss. He both heard and felt the moan of shock and pleasure as he lightly sucked her tongue into his mouth and stroked it with his own. He could feel her nipples harden instantly through the unimaginably thin bodysuit of her Senshi fuku.  
  
"So," he said when she pulled away to breathe deeply, "to what do I own the pleasure of a personal visit from the Senshi of Mercury?"  
  
"I'm not here for talk." Ami said. She was thankful for the strange huskiness in her voice. It made her attempts to disguise it even more effective. No one hearing her would think of Mizuno Ami with that voice.  
  
"Oh," he said, sounding slightly strange, "just what are you here for?"  
  
"You'll find out in a minute."  
  
Ami took a half step back her hands still on his shirt from before and without further thought to the consequences, jerked her arms wide open, tearing his shirt to shreds and sending buttons flying. She enjoyed the shocked look in his eyes at her actions.  
  
"Do you understand yet Konjou?" she asked as she reached down to cup his manhood through his pants. She nearly laughed when he shuddered at the contact as if he were punched in the stomach.  
  
"I think I have a fairly good idea about it now." He said fiercely. His arms wrapped around her and drew her close. She gasped at the contact of his hands on her butt. His grip tightened pressing her against his now hardened manhood, which was completely obvious to her through the terribly thin barrier of their clothing.  
  
"Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into, Sailor Mercury?" He nearly growled as her hand continued to stroke him from between their bodies. He leaned down and captured her neck with his lips. The wet heat seeped into her making her feel almost boneless.  
  
"I am fairly astute Konjou, and I did start this. It's foolish for you to question my knowledge of my own actions." She squeezed him firmly through his pants, making him gasp in response. She was very surprised when he spun around and pressed her against the wall.  
  
He gathered both of her wrists in one hand and pressed them against the wall above her head. She marvelled at his strength, she was honestly trying to prevent him from restraining her, and couldn't. Her plans were nearly ruined when she realised that he didn't need to assume his Neko form to overpower even her Senshi abilities. She gasped when he used his other hand to stroke her entire body from her breasts to her crotch.  
  
She marshalled her strength and pushed him away. He grinned in response and stood still when she reached for the closures of his slacks. He jumped when the backs of her fingers brushed his length as she removed his pants. His underwear was similarly death with and finally Konjou stood before her naked.  
  
Ami silently appreciated his body. He was very handsome. She had no difficulty understanding what had drawn Makoto to him. In fact if she hadn't known the truth of who he was, she might have eventually tried this with other reasoning in mind. She returned he gaze to his when she finished her slow perusal of his body. His eyes were nearly burning with unbridled lust. It was a heady feeling to know that she had inspired it in him.  
  
"Sailor Mercury, this is your last chance to get out of here untouched. I recommend you take it." He said suddenly serious.  
  
"I'm a big girl, I make my own decisions." Her voice sounded a lot more confident than she was. She had read hundreds of romance novels, but the reality of the situation was far more intense than she expected.  
  
She took him by the hand and led him to his bed. With a light shove she pushed him onto it and straddled his hips. The feel of his hardness pressing against her belly did strange things to her insides, she felt as if they were melting. She stroked her way up his sides and pressed him fully against the headboard. His arms were outstretched over his head when he felt the pulse of magic. Before he had a chance to ascertain what had happened she snapped the handcuffs she had pulled from her subspace pocket on his wrists, cuffing him to his own headboard.  
  
"There," she said, "that will keep you where I want you." She grinned as she slid down his body.  
  
Ami had gone through all of what she remembered of her books and most of them agreed on one thing. If she really wanted to turn him on she would need to use her mouth for something she was quite certain it was never intended for. She wanted him so far gone with lust that he wouldn't be able to think clear enough to recognise her once her fuku came off. She was fairly certain that without it, the glamour that protected her identity would deactivate. It was never intended to disguise the Senshi from a lover.  
  
She heard the handcuffs rattle as she faced his manhood. Medically speaking she knew how large an average human male member was. She didn't have any measuring devices around her at the moment but Konjou's was obviously above that. His breathing was heavy enough to be heard clearly as she contemplated the object before her. He seemed to twitch when she exhaled her hot breath onto him. She could see the muscles in his hips straining against themselves.  
  
Deciding it would be best to start before he lost interest Ami leaned forward and wrapped her lips around the engorged head. She pulled back quickly as his hips jumped forward involuntarily, and narrowly avoided choking on him. The taste was neither good nor bad, despite the many complaints the women in her novels had about it. Feeling his urgency easily she drew her tongue across the head and began to slowly slide him further into her mouth. When she had him in as deep as she could accept she slowly pulled back, licking his length while maintaining hard suction the entire time.  
  
As she had expected from her studies, his reaction to her actions was gratifying. She could hear him rattling the handcuffs in a desperate attempt to reach her. She quickened her movements and giggled slightly at the frantic oaths and rocking motions of his hips. She very lightly allowed her teeth to graze the supersensitive crown and again nearly choked as he speared himself deeper into her throat than she believed she could tolerate.  
  
She brought her hands into play one pumping on his shaft while the other lightly squeezed his testicles. For several long minutes she continued her actions, his moans took on a tone of pleading and supplication. She was forced to continually be aware of his hips, on more than one occasion he had convulsed causing her no end of trouble.  
  
She was finding it harder and harder to maintain concentration on what she was doing. Her own nether regions were very wet now. She could feel moisture soaking into her fuku through her panties. Her nipples were painfully tight, she needed to finish this before her body betrayed her and took her farther than she intended.  
  
She more than doubled the speed and suction of her movements on Konjou. She could feel his pulse racing both with her mouth and her hand on his manhood. The sounds in the room were highly erotic, adding to the highly charged atmosphere. His moans intermixed with the wet suction sounds from her attentions. His motions became truly erratic, she could feel him straining the metal of the handcuffs she had stolen from the hospital. He began to emit a continuous purring sound and the ping of metal was the only warning she had of the destruction of the handcuffs before she felt his hands in her hair. He tried to pull her away but she refused and continued her self appointed task. He pleaded with her to stop, to continue and made other wordless sounds, she ignored them all.  
  
She had Konjou completely at her mercy and the feeling of power was indescribable. Every muscle in his body strained against itself and he called out a warning to her. Again she ignored it and suddenly her mouth was flooded with a slick heat. She quickly agreed with the opinion of the women in the novels. The taste was memorable, and very unpleasant. She quickly took a plastic bag she had prepared for this eventuality from her subspace pocket and spit the results of her labours into it. She quickly sealed it and dropped it back into subspace.  
  
Ami lay against his chest for a moment, enjoying the feeling of his deep purring. She understood now what her novels had meant by the moment of peace after such intimacy. A warm languor stole over her at her accomplishment. She had partially succeeded, she had enough of a sample now to prove conclusively that he was Neko, but she might not have enough to test for his allergen. Besides, she thought ruefully, she doubted she would be able to leave if he didn't let her, and though almost every believable novel she had read had mentioned that males needed a small break between sessions, Konjou was still as hard as ever.  
  
"Wow, Mercury-chan," he said as soon as his laboured breathing allowed, "that was just, wow."  
  
He pulled her up to his face and kissed her deeply, completely unmindful of the taste of himself still in her mouth. She vaguely noted the presence of the handcuffs still on his wrists despite their broken chain, yet such concerns faded when he once again began to run his hands over her body.  
  
"You really need to take off this fuku." He said with a hint of something indefinable in his voice.  
  
"Oh, and why is that?" She said teasingly. She had no idea why she had said that, but she had to bite her lips to keep from giggling at his response.  
  
Konjou sat up and pulled her fully onto his lap. Hid hands continued their relentless exploration of her body, yet were thwarted by her fuku. No matter how he tried he couldn't get his fingers under the fabric. She did giggle finally as he swore at the stubborn clothing.  
  
"Now would be a really good time for you to take that off." His tone carried warning and nearly liquefied her bones with its heat.  
  
"What is it you want me to take off?" She asked playfully as she ran her hands up and down his chest. She was really beginning to enjoy the light teasing she was giving him. His response to it was wonderful, and erased many long held doubts she had about her desirability. After all if she could incite lust in someone that had dated Makoto, well maybe she wasn't unattractive after all.  
  
He stilled at her words. All movement save for the rise and fall of his chest halted. The look he gave her could have melted steel. It did draw an involuntary whimper from her throat.  
  
"Take off the fuku." It obviously wasn't a request.  
  
She slid backwards off of his lap and stood a step or so away from the bed. She had begun to shake slightly, both from nervousness of his intensity, and her own desire. She nearly sent her outfit back into subspace where she summoned it from when it occurred to her what that would do.  
  
"Close your eyes." She commanded him softly.  
  
When he complied she quickly willed away her fuku concentrating hard on maintaining her transformation despite its loss. She felt a sense of relief when she could still feel the magic flowing through her once the fuku was gone. She had been a bit unsure of how exactly to do what she had just done, and it wasn't the kind of thing she could have asked Setsuna or the cats about.  
  
"You can open your eyes now." She said softly.  
  
Konjou opened his eyes and stared at her. His gaze softened from its previous intensity as he took in her appearance. He reached out slowly placed his hands on her sides and drew her closer to him.  
  
Now that she was completely naked she was far less certain about her decision. The look he was giving her was doing curious things to her. She felt hot yet she was shivering. She crossed her arms shyly over her chest to block his view.  
  
"Don't," he commanded softly, "there's nothing to be ashamed of. You're beautiful." His simple words went a long way toward reassuring her.  
  
Konjou gently took a hold of her arms and moved them out of the way of his gaze. She could feel his eyes move down her body from her face all the way to her toes and back again. She squeaked in surprise when he placed a hand palm down on her belly.  
  
His hands slid upwards, his palm lifting until only his fingertips remained in contact with her. With deliberate slowness he slid his fingers up, over her belly and onto her breasts. Her legs nearly buckled as he traced feather light circles on her already hardened nipples. She gasped and began to softly whimper at the feeling.  
  
"Come here." He said.  
  
He guided her until her knees brushed against the edge of the bed between his own. He slid his hands back down to her sides and lifted her gently into his lap. The feel of his manhood against he naked hip made her earlier nervousness return in full. He drew her into a soul searing kiss, and sent his hands on a scorching tour of her body. Only his arms around her kept her from running when his fingers brushed over her meike.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama." She cried at the sensation.  
  
He chuckled at her reaction and traced a finger down the divide of her folds and back up again. She was very wet already and she began to whimper and thrash softly at his actions. He moved his mouth to her neck placing a scattering of sucking kisses across it as his hand continued its relentless torment of her most sacred of places.  
  
He parted her folds gently with two of his fingers and drew his thumb down the freshly exposed softness. Her cries became loud and frantic at the attention. His thumb traced back up its previous path, yet going higher. His nail scraped softly a line of fire all the way to the very core of her sensations. He flicked the engorged centre of her desire then pressed and rolled his thumb against it. She shook and quivered under his caresses.  
  
"Please Konjou." she began, not really knowing what she wanted anymore, only that Konjou was her only hope.  
  
He pushed her back against the bed. He knelt between her parted legs, his manhood standing proud and firm over her. He leaned down, his body covering hers pressed full length against her, and drew her once again into a deep kiss. His hands stroked up and down her sides his thumbs just brushing the sides of her breasts during each passing.  
  
His weight pressing her against the mattress brought her back to herself. She suddenly realised just how far out of her depth she really was. She knew beyond the shadow of any doubt that this had gone too far. She tried to sit up, to begin to talk her way out of this before she lost herself again, but a cold feeling on her wrists and a metallic ratcheting sound drew her attention. She looked disbelievingly at the handcuffs now repaired and restraining her against the headboard of the bed. He grinned positively evilly at her shock.  
  
"Konjou," she said warningly.  
  
"There," he said, "that will keep you where I want you." His words mimicked her earlier ones.  
  
"Konjou!" She shouted her voice had strong overtones of terror.  
  
"Don't worry Mercury-chan. I promise you this won't hurt a bit."  
  
Ami pulled at the handcuffs with all of her strength as he moved down her body, blazing a train of kisses. His arms wrapped around the outside of her legs stilling their frantic movements easily. His fingers carefully spread open the petals of her womanhood in preparation for him.  
  
"Konjou, please take these off me." She begged him looking at the handcuffs.  
  
He gazed directly into her eyes. His caramel brown orbs capturing her blue ones in a paralyzing stare. She felt much like she imagined a mouse caught by a cat did.  
  
"No, I think I like you like this." He said and dipped his head to her opened petals.  
  
She nearly crawled out of her skin at the first contact of his tongue against her. Makoto was an idiot, she thought, there was no way she should have missed how rough Konjou's tongue was. It was far more like a cat's than a human's. Its rough surface lapped slowly up and down inside of her. She could feel her body becoming wetter in response to him. Her dragged his tongue up to the apex of her meike and scraped her swollen nub with it.  
  
His unbelievable strength kept her legs imprisoned as he continued his assault on her senses. For long minutes he traced complex patterns on her inner lips, occasionally spearing between them to taste her nectar. Her drew her nubbin into his mouth and remorselessly attacked it with gentle teeth, hard suction and wet sandpapery tongue.  
  
Her breathing was completely erratic, her voice hoarse from her moans. Her wrists stung from her frantic attempts to tear free from the imprisonment of the handcuffs. Every muscle in her body was pulled tight as a bow string as she straddled the edge of oblivion. When he bit down lightly on her captured nub and purred deep in his throat she lost all vestiges of control.  
  
Ami screamed loudly as her orgasm ripped through her like a tsunami. The sound of the cast iron headboard bending under the tremendous force she placed upon it went unheard. Her legs stayed perfectly still in his grasp. Her screams went on and on lasting what seemed like forever to her as the tide of fire washed through her. Finally the surges slowed to the point that she could take a breath.  
  
Just as she inhaled, with the mild aftershocks of her orgasm still washing through her, he pushed a finger into her, bit down a little harder on her already over stimulated nub, and purred again. Ami was again tossed into the firestorm of orgasm, this time without the benefit of long preparation. Her heart stuttered at the violent release. She cried out for mercy, and vainly tried to ride the waves of sensation. He changed depth of his purr and another wave of orgasm crashed down upon her, this one before the other had even begun to abate.  
  
The terribly overstressed cast iron headboard snapped under the strain and Ami pulled Konjou away from her lower body and into a deep kiss. He could taste the saltiness of her tears on her cheeks and lips. She showered his upturned face with kissed as she continued to sob with some inexplicable emotion.  
  
Konjou drew her into his embrace her still manacled arms settled over his head to wrap around him. He held her tightly and gently stroked her sides for several minutes until she recovered from the shudders that wracked her. Her kisses of joy and gratitude, though feather light, were reminding him of just how ready he was to continue.  
  
"Mercury-chan," he called lightly, "Mercury-chan." He said again when she failed to respond.  
  
Ami finally took note of his voice and stilled her kisses to meet his gaze. His expression needed no words to translate it. She nodded in agreement with his unspoken request.  
  
She removed her hands from behind his back and looked pointedly at her still bound wrists. He took her hands in his and less than a second later the cuffs fell open and landed, already forgotten, on the bed. Ami reached once again into subspace and withdrew a condom package. He grinned at the slightly ashamed expression on her face when she thought of what Luna would say about that.  
  
They sat up and she took his still hard manhood in her hand. She opened the package with her teeth and stroked him slowly as she rolled the condom down his length. Once she was satisfied that it was in place she took her hands away and smiled nervously at him.  
  
"Please be careful Konjou-chan," she said in a very small voice. "I've never done this before."  
  
"Oh Mercury-chan," he said, and pulled her once again into his embrace.  
  
After a few moments of silent reassurance he guided her down onto her back and positioned himself between her slim legs. She trembled slightly as he ran his hands up the insides of her thighs. Her nipples hardened once again at the feeling of anticipation. She clutched the bedspread at her sides tightly when she felt the tip of him brush her.  
  
He parted her outer lips with his fingers with one hand and guided himself carefully to her with the other. His eyes locked with hers as he sat poised at the brink of claiming her.  
  
"Are you ready Mercury-chan?" He asked seriously. At her stiff nod he began to push firmly but gently into her.  
  
Ami felt like she was being pried apart. The pain was excruciating. She had to bit her lips to keep from screaming. After a few seconds he stopped pushing and her body seemed to sag around him. His breath was nearly as short as hers, and a fine sheen of sweat covered him.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama Mercury." He said breathlessly. "You're so tight its killing me." His strained smile took any insult out of his words, and the little laugh it provoked allowed her to take her mind off his partial intrusion. Once her nervousness partially abated she loosened up some.  
  
Konjou once again began to push into her, this time whispering words of encouragement and compliment to her while his hands raced over her body, all in an attempt to keep her calm. He was only a short way into her when he hit a barrier he hadn't expected. He was truly shocked that her hymen had survived all the combat she must have faced.  
  
"Mercury, this might hurt a little." He said as kindly as he could. "You're still a virgin in every sense of the word despite your lifestyle."  
  
It took her a second to understand his meaning, and a feeling of fear and wonder nearly overcame her. Now that he had mentioned it, she did find it somewhat surprising that she hadn't torn her hymen during the course of her life as a Senshi. She was the least combative of them however, so perhaps it wasn't as odd as it could have been. She consciously attempted to relax herself and nodded to him to continue.  
  
Konjou knew she knew who he was at this point. There was simply no way someone as intelligent as her would have failed to figure it out. He reached up and traced a highly complex pattern onto her forehead. While he did so he spoke softly words in the native language of the Primarchs.  
  
Ami shivered as Konjou cast some sort of magic over her. She knew she should have been afraid, but at this point there was no room in her emotions for something as trivial as fear of his magic. She was already naked underneath him, with only the thinnest of barriers separating her from his total possession.  
  
"That will ease the pain." He said simply. He captured her lips once again and thrust quickly into her.  
  
She didn't really mean to doubt his words, but he was obviously mistaken if he believed whatever he had done would ease the pain of that. She screamed as a lance of agony speared through her when he tore through her maidenhood. She gazed into his eyes, her dripping with tears from the pain and obvious betrayal she felt.  
  
"I thought you said it would ease the pain." She accused tearfully.  
  
"It did, that could have been a lot worse."  
  
She really had trouble believing that, but had no time to say so before he started to move. No matter how badly she had hurt a second ago, once he started moving, trivial things like soul drenching agony were forgotten. The feeling of him moving inside of her, filling her beyond anything she could have imagined, made her heart soar and her blood sing.  
  
He continued to move slowly within her as she heated degree by degree. His hands never stilled on her, with their stroking, light scratching, and tweaking in counterpoint to his rhythmic thrusts. After a few short minutes she was already back to the heights she felt before.  
  
With her hands unbound she was not a passive participant of the lovemaking. She drew him close and stroked his back and neck while she rolled her hips in time with his thrusts. He growled and purred when the pulses of pleasure slowly washing through her caused her to claw at his back. He hissed like a cat when she bit his shoulder. She curled her legs around his hips and thrust herself against him violently.  
  
She pulled his head backwards with one had while the other curled between their legs to cup his genitals. His eyes were glowing cobalt and slightly out of focus as she forced him to meet her stare.  
  
"Neko," she said dropping all pretences of not knowing who he really was. "Harder Neko, take me. Give me everything you've got. Fuck me."  
  
Konjou hissed at the mantra like words she spoke, and increased both the pace and force of this thrusts. She gloried in the feeling of control she had over him. She cried out as the sensations in her body flared higher than ever before, yet still she held on to control. Konjou's face was scrunched up as he fought to hold in his pleasure.  
  
"Neko," she crooned. "Let go. Just let it go." She whispered into his ear.  
  
She squeezed his testicles just his side of hard and rolled them in her palm while simultaneously blowing her hot breath into his ear. His trembling reached a crescendo and his thrusts into her came hard enough to nearly bruise her hips. She screamed in ecstasy when she could no longer hold back the crash of her orgasm. The motions of the muscles inside her tore the control from him and with one last powerful surge into her and cried out a near yowl and burst into brilliant silver light. Konjou's features changed in a flash into that of Neko and the feeling of fullness increased again, sending her over the edge one more time.  
  
"Oh Ami!" he bellowed and she could feel the pulsing  
  
"I knew it." She said softly tracing his face with her hand. "I knew you were Neko." She felt somewhat giddy at the total confirmation of her belief.  
  
"Yes, your computer continually reassured you of what you were seeing. The glamour that protects us wasn't designed with that in mind. Every time the glamour tried to convince you that there was nothing special about what you were seeing, your computer reminded you of the truth."  
  
"Your aura is amazing." She said softly. She felt warm, safe inside the silver glow.  
  
"Yea, I'm sorry about that." He said reigning in the silver radiance. "I have a tendency to lose my control of it when I get over emotional. It's a lot like your Mercury symbol really."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" she asked, feeling somewhat cold and alone without the beautiful silver light. Neko looked at her strangely, then a flash of comprehension moved over him.  
  
"You don't know do you?" he said more to himself than to her.  
  
He held his hand up and a small silver mirror appeared in it. Ami looked on in shock at the blue glow of her Mercury symbol on her forehead. As far as she knew it only appeared to announce her activation as Sailor Mercury, and in times of great need. She could hardly classify an orgasm as a time of great need.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama, this is bad."  
  
"Well, I wouldn't exactly say it's bad, but it definitely means any lovers a Senshi takes will know about them."  
  
"Wait, you mean you think this would show up if I were in my normal form?"  
  
"I don't think it, I know it."  
  
Ami felt like crying, if what he said was true, than Tenjin must know that Mina is Venus. She had to warn the other Senshi. She felt irritated that none of the older girls had told them about this little fact. Usagi might not have realised the significance of it, but Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru should have said something.  
  
Ami stood on shaky legs and stepped out of reach, ignoring the odd look he gave her. She summoned her fuku back and he pouted at her when she was once again dressed. She gathered her computer from under the bed and began slowly walking towards the door. She truly dreaded trying to get down from the apartment unseen. She could hardly be caught coming out of his apartment in any form. She winced once again at the pain in her hips and legs and pulled open the door.  
  
"Ami?"  
  
She turned around at the sound of her name before really putting together the fact that he had called her than instead of Mercury.  
  
"Consider this a gift." He said and the world turned on its head.  
  
******** Ami awoke the next morning with the worst headache she could imagine. Even through the pain several things seemed out of place to her. The last thing she remembered was fainting in Neko's bedroom.  
  
She organised the discrepancies into points of order. Point one, she was in her own bedroom at home. Point two, she was dressed in a silky blue piece of negligee she knew very well she had never seen before. Point three, there was a beautiful silver bracelet laying on her nightstand. It had a very well detailed sapphire charm on it shaped into the perfect likeness of a dolphin. Point four she remembered her last thoughts before passing out, he had called her Ami, twice. Point five, he knew who she was, this was very bad.  
  
The next few points were also bad, but not nearly the personal tragedies that the first group were. Point six, he knew for certain that the planetary symbol appeared on untransformed Senshi. Point seven, he knew the Makoto was Sailor Jupiter. Point eight, Tenjin knew Mina was Sailor Venus. Point nine, they were more than intelligent enough to figure who the other Senshi were given the information they had. Point ten, oh Kami, Hikage must be a Primarch as well.  
  
Any further wallowing in abject misery was interrupted by her mother knocking at her bedroom door. Ami quickly jerked her bedspread up to cover the strange negligee as she called out to her mother to enter.  
  
"Good morning, Ami." She said.  
  
"Good morning mother, how was work?"  
  
"Fine dear, I just wanted to tell you that I've been called in again. This power shortage has led to so many injuries that I hardly see you anymore." Her tone was very sad.  
  
"It's not your fault mother." She said immediately. "I know you try your best to be there for me, but your patients need you."  
  
"You need me too dear. I just hope I don't miss anything important in your life taking care of other people."  
  
"You won't mother."  
  
"So what are your plans today Ami?"  
  
"Oh I'm not feeling that well. I had a bit of a rough night."  
  
"Yes, you must have, it's near ten and you're still in bed. I never even heard you come in last night."  
  
"Well it was a bit late."  
  
"Well, I need to be off. Try to get some rest today, you wouldn't want to miss school tomorrow."  
  
"Goodbye mother, I'll see you when you get home." Mrs. Mizuno left her daughters room and soon Ami heard the front door open and close indicating she had left for work.  
  
Ami winced at the pain in between her legs. She could easily feel the effects of her activities last night. She was glad that her mother hadn't noticed the scent of sex she could easily still smell coming off of her. She slid her hand down to her womanhood and pressed lightly into it. She hissed in pain at the contact. A quick look proved to her that she was bruised, chaffed and still a little swollen from last night's lovemaking.  
  
She shook her head in denial of her own thought. She hadn't made love to Neko last night. She had had sex with him. There was a difference. You have to be in love to make love. She was anything but in love with Neko, she had sex with him to gather a sample. A sample that was even now sitting in her subspace pocket waiting to be analyzed. She needed the evidence of her computers readouts to prove to her friends that Konjou was Neko.  
  
Oh who did she think she was kidding, she thought to herself. She couldn't possibly explain to the other Senshi how she had obtained the evidence. Makoto would kill her for seducing Konjou. Luna, Artemis and Setsuna would kill her for doing it as Sailor Mercury, and she didn't even want to think about what Usagi, Rei or Mina would do. Suffice it to say she would rather lie to Makoto and say she seduced Konjou just to hurt her, rather than face the inquisition those three would give her.  
  
Still she needed to find a way to warn Mina, Makoto and Hotaru about the boys.  
  
"Kami, how am I going to tell Mina?" she spoke aloud.  
  
"Well, I recommend that you don't bother, she'll learn soon enough, and when she finds out she's not going to be happy." Konjou said from next to her on the bed.  
  
"Ahhh!!!!" Ami screamed and fell off the bed.  
  
"Well that's a nice greeting." Konjou said sourly as he reached down to help her up.  
  
She scuttled backwards across the floor trying to stay out of reach. He frowned at her behaviour and rolled to his feet.  
  
"How did you get here?" she snapped at him. The look he gave her was very easy to decipher it said 'Are you really that stupid?' "What I meant to say," she responded to his silent insult, "was what are you doing here?"  
  
"Well," he said drawing the word out. "I was in the neighbourhood and decided to see how you felt this morning. We did have a bit of a sedate lovemaking session last night, but it was your first time, so you might be feeling a little sore. Even taking into account how easy I went on you." His grin was demonic. "Besides, I thought I should meet your family. Do you realise how much like your mother you look? You're a very lucky girl to know that you'll still be beautiful when you're middle aged."  
  
"It's none of your business how I am." She said primly.  
  
"On the contrary, I'm the one that put you in whatever condition you're in this morning, so it is most assuredly my business."  
  
"You won't leave until I tell you will you?"  
  
"Correct."  
  
"Fine, I hurt all over. I have bruises bite marks and scratches on places I don't like to think about, let alone be constantly reminded of their condition. I'm sore in places I wouldn't allow my gynaecologist to touch. And its not you're fault, I'm the one that set out to seduce you."  
  
"Yea, you did a good job too." He said with a happy little smile.  
  
He took the strange bracelet off of her nightstand and stroked it with his fingers. She tried not to be jealous.  
  
"Well, you know how I feel, so go away now."  
  
"Did I say I would go away once you told me? No. I said I wouldn't if you didn't tell me, there's quite a difference."  
  
Ami nearly growled in frustration. She knew there was nothing she or anyone could do to remove him until he wanted to go. She decided to ignore him and go on with her plans for the day. Since modesty in front of him was a complete joke now she stripped out of the negligee and headed towards the bathroom.  
  
"Wow, you are even worse off than I remember. Come here."  
  
Ami stopped, she refused to do as he bid, but there was no point in trying to escape. She shivered at the touch of his hands on her. He lightly stroked her back as he spoke in Aleph. Suddenly her body flooded with energy. She could feel the healing energy washing through her, and it brought an involuntary shudder of pleasure to her still raw senses.  
  
"There, that's much better." He said as he once again looked her over completely.  
  
She felt like blushing under his stare despite last night's activities. She knew that it was foolish to be modest in front of a man that knew her as intimately as he did, but she felt it anyway now.  
  
"Please don't look at me like that." She said softly.  
  
"Like how?"  
  
"Like you want me."  
  
"Well then we have a problem. You see I do want you, but before I have you there are a few things we need to do."  
  
"You're not going to have me so I guess we can just skip those steps." She walked into the bathroom and closed the door in his face.  
  
She adjusted the spray and stepped under the steaming water. She began the process of scrubbing off the evidence of last nights indiscretions. Now that she was alone she admitted to herself that she was very thankful for his healing of her. She also knew that she had enjoyed the feel of his hands and eyes on her again. His touch should have a warning label, it was highly addictive.  
  
"I am so glad you feel that way," he said from behind her in the shower. "If you didn't it would be a lot harder to get you to let me wash your back."  
  
She knew she hadn't said anything out loud. Obviously he could read minds, on top of all the rest of his abilities. It hardly seemed fair to her.  
  
"Get out Konjou."  
  
"You know, I liked it a lot better when you called me by my real name."  
  
"Good, then I won't do it anymore."  
  
He grinned at her in challenge to her statement. He took the lather builder from her hand and began to rub vigorously on her back. She sighed in pleasure at his touch. She knew she should complain, scream, and even attack him, but all of those things were pointless unless he chose to allow them, and besides, it just felt so good.  
  
"I want you to wear this." He said dangling the strange bracelet in front of her.  
  
"No."  
  
"You don't even know what it is."  
  
"I know you gave it to me, that's reason enough not to wear it."  
  
"It's a protective charm, much like the one Mori gave to Mina. He got the idea from me actually."  
  
"No thank you, I don't want any gifts from you."  
  
"You're going to want it in a few minutes."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"Because once I start to make love to you again you'll want all the extra toughness you can get."  
  
She moaned as he kissed his way down her now clean back. He bit her sharply on her butt causing her to jump and squeal. He ignored her sputtering protests and traced his hands down from the rapidly moistening apex of her thighs to her ankles, where he fastened the charm around her right leg.  
  
"That anklet will increase your resistance to physical impacts more than your Senshi transformation does, and it will work in conjunction with it. I'm working on a few other charms to add to it, but they're not ready yet."  
  
"I told you I'm not going to wear it." She said breathlessly. He had done an excellent job of heating her blood with his caresses.  
  
"We'll see." He answered.  
  
******** Ami sighed and rolled over into the recently vacated spot on her bed where Konjou had been. She had been wrong about many things today. She had made love to him again. She had called him by his real name, loudly and often of the last several hours. And finally she was very happy to wear the anklet.  
  
She luxuriated at the delicious feeling of languor that had settled into her after the intense loving. She had the magical protection of the anklet to thank for her current ability to move. Konjou was far more like a cat than she would have thought.  
  
She sat up and summoned the bag of his semen from subspace. It was past time for her to begin the analysis of it for a weakness. Her computer quickly scanned it and began to compare it against the previous records from his blood. The analysis was completed in seconds interrupting her stretch and bringing a frown to her face. She called up the results with a frown, and stared disbelievingly at the preposterous results. The computer registered the liquid as plain ordinary pure water. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it hadn't been water last night.  
  
Ami nearly screamed in frustration. Konjou had had the last laugh this time but the game was far from over.  
  
******** Monday brought many surprises. Tenjin and Mina seemed even more inseparable than they had on Saturday. Apparently Mina had told her mother that she would be spending Saturday night and all of Sunday at the Jinja, and had been with Tenjin the entire time. The girls worried slightly about how much time she was spending with him, but her obvious happiness, and the remarkably healthy look to her belayed most of their fears.  
  
Hikage had show up at the Outer's house on Sunday and invited Hotaru out on a date. Haruka had objected strongly, but was overruled by Michiru and Setsuna. They found the childish flirtation between the two to be wonderfully romantic, and Hotaru seemed far happier since meeting Hikage. Haruka growled the entire time she was out, and practically striped her looking for hickeys or other marks when she returned, but she still had a good time.  
  
Hotaru blushed every time she thought of the creative way Hikage had found to express his attraction to her without leaving evidence her over enthusiastic guardian could find. His odd psychic abilities had came in quite handy.  
  
Ami did her best not to look Konjou all of Monday, her efforts were futile though as she caught herself gazing at him every time she forgot to consciously look somewhere else. She knew that Usagi and probably Rei had noticed her preoccupation, but prayed that Makoto was unaware. Makoto would take her seduction of Konjou hard, and she didn't want to hurt her friend. Besides, Ami thought, Makoto had been expelled from several schools for fighting before joining the Senshi, and had only gotten better since. She would undoubtedly pound Ami flat for stealing her boyfriend.  
  
The three boys vanished during lunch. Supposedly they had a meeting scheduled with the nurse to discuss something, but Ami knew that something else was happening. At a few minutes before noon the power once again began to flow to the country of Japan. It took hours for the full implications to set in. Things would soon be back to normal.  
  
A few hours later the first television news programs broadcast a startling discovery. The people that had vanished during the disappearance of the oil derricks, power plants, and logging companies had been located. They were hundreds of miles into the Chinese interior, The loss of power worldwide had been solved everywhere at the same time, and once they had power to the radio transmitter they had located in the small out of the way village they had found themselves in, they called out for rescue.  
  
The rest of the week passed in a blur. Ami made constant excuses not to spend time after school with her friends, and instead spent it with Konjou. It was difficult for her to lie to her friends, especially to Makoto.  
  
She wasn't sure when it happened, but it was Wednesday when she finally admitted it to herself. She was in love with Konjou. She knew it was stupid, she knew it would only cause her heartbreak, but it was a fact. She theorized that she had loved him since before her foolish decision to seduce him. In all likelihood it had been her attraction to him that had prompted her to do something that idiotic. Makoto would feel betrayed when she learned of it, but she wouldn't give up what she had finally found.  
  
Mina spent every day with Tenjin. She had practically moved in. Tenjin's closet now had more of her clothing in it than his. She treasured every instant she spent with him, knowing that it would more than likely come to an end on Saturday. Ami had told the Senshi that she had been contacted by the Primarchs and notified that they would meet the Senshi in the evening rather than in the morning when the challenge had been issued as far as Mina saw it, they were giving her a few more hours to spend with the man she loved.  
  
She debated telling him who she was, she needed him to understand that she may never see him again after Saturday, but couldn't bring herself to betray the confidence the other girls had in her. One thing she had done that week was to introduce Tenjin to her Mother. As expected he had made an excellent impression on her, and had in fact impressed her so much that she had immediately began plans to introduce him to the rest of the family as 'a perfect match for her darling Mina'. Mina had nearly died of embarrassment, but Tenjin had simply smiled at the crazy woman and nodded at all the right parts.  
  
Konjou had done an excellent job throughout the week of hiding his growing attraction to Ami. He was anything but stupid or unobservant. He knew that Makoto would be hurt by, in her opinion, being replaced with one of her close friends, especially with it coming so soon on the heels of their break-up. In public he treated Ami no different than he had previously, but in private he did everything he could to please her.  
  
She did make one curious statement. She had commented on feeling safe and warm in his aura when it had once again slipped out of his control. He knew from long eons of experience that no one felt like that. Even the other Primarchs felt a sense of cold, and menace within the glow, but according to Ami that didn't hold true for her. She mentioned in passing that Mina had said much the same about Mori's aura. That bore looking into.  
  
Rei stared once again into the Sacred Fire, seeking answers to her dilemma, a salve for her pain. It was Friday, and tomorrow she would die. There was no doubt that they would lose. Ami and the cats had been unsuccessful in finding the Primarchs weaknesses. Luna and Artemis had returned just this afternoon with the sad news.  
  
Central was completely silent on even speculation of the Primarchs' allergens. It was very likely that Lunari would have known Niccolai's and Earryn probably knew Mordaki's, but it hadn't been recorded.  
  
That thought brought another depressing fact to mind. Elios had point blank refused to even discuss Mordaki with Mamoru. When Mamoru had told Elios about the reawakening of the Primarchs Elios seemed to nearly wet himself. He refused to explain his reaction, and had even begged Mamoru to give him back the Golden Crystal. Mamoru had of course refused, and Elios had left not long after, seeming very afraid.  
  
All of this would have been enough to depress Rei on its own, but she had a more personal reason. She was about to die without ever tasting love. Her heart sank in despair at the realization. Almost all of her friends had someone to hold onto in their final hours, but she was alone.  
  
She wondered at her destiny. She seemed cursed to only fall for men she couldn't have. Even in her last life she had been robbed of love. Her fiancé then had betrayed and killed her. She knew that he had been under the control of Metallia, but it hardly halted the feelings of betrayal. Ironically she had been instrumental to his death in this life. The circle was closed.  
  
Further wallowing in self pity was interrupted by a polite knocking at the door. Quickly wiping the tears from her eyes she called out permission to enter. She was glad for the sweat the Sacred Fire caused her, it would help to mask her tears.  
  
"Rei?" Ami called out to her from the doorway.  
  
"Hi Ami." Rei said hoping Ami wouldn't notice the despair in her voice.  
  
"Oh Rei." Ami said as she rushed over. Ami pulled her into her embrace and the tears began to fall.  
  
"What's wrong Rei?" She asked caringly.  
  
I took Rei hours to explain. How she started off believing she hated Tenjin. She told Ami about the angry moments when she had found him accidentally looking up her skirt, or how his teasing in the first few weeks she had known him had made her so angry. Then how later, after he and Mina had started dating, they had started to get along. They had spent many hours during lunch or study hall involved in deep discussions about anything and everything, clicking in a way she never had before, with anyone. She moved on to the feelings of despair that had accumulated over the last month, knowing that her time was short, and that she had spent it alone, pining for one of her closest friend's lover.  
  
"Why me, Ami-chan? Why can't someone ever love me?" Rei broke down into fresh tears at that, and sobbed weakly in Ami's arms.  
  
It took surprisingly little time for Ami to come to a decision. She was quite sure the consequences of her idea would be severe. It was quite likely that Mina would hate her until her dying day for it, but Rei needed something, someone, to make her remember that she was important too.  
  
"Rei, there are some things I need to tell you."  
  
"What Ami-chan." Rei said in a small voice.  
  
"Do you remember the day you met Tenjin?"  
  
"Yes." She said cautiously.  
  
"Do you want to know what he thought about you? That very first day? Tenjin said you were one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met. I've personally heard him say that had it not been for Mina giving him little choice he would have probably asked you out."  
  
"Ami-chan? Are you telling me the truth?"  
  
"Yes. He liked you first. Mina came on so strong that she almost scared him off. The only reason he started dating her was he didn't think you liked him."  
  
Rei's eyes were larger than dinner plates at Ami's words. She remembered the laughter Tenjin and she had shared over some of the sillier knots the Japanese code of honour could create. She remembered how ever since they had stopped fighting, that he always had a kind word for her. She remembered when he gave her his umbrella so she didn't have to walk home in a sudden rainstorm, and she remembered Tenjin laughing and hugging her after the two of them had played a prank on Usagi .  
  
Ami smiled as the information sank into Rei, brightening her expression. She had a few things to add, but Rei was already well on the way to recovery.  
  
"You see Rei, you're not unlovable, you just tend to push people away. I'm sure you will find."  
  
"I still have a chance Ami. He still likes me I just know it."  
  
"Rei, he's dating Mina."  
  
"No she's dating him, there's a difference. He might want out of it and not know how. As long as he still has feelings for me I have a chance."  
  
"Rei, there's something you should know about before you do anything you might regret." Ami was in a panic, this was not what she had intended. She was just trying to get Rei to realize that it was her own temperament that kept her alone, not send her on a seduction mission of Mina's boyfriend, who just happened to be the enemy they were going to fight in less than twenty four hours.  
  
"What's that Ami?" Rei asked as she stood.  
  
"You might want to sit back down for this." Ami cautioned.  
  
"I'll be ok."  
  
"Tenjin is Mori, err Mordaki. He's the enemy Rei."  
  
Rei stopped moving, and stared at Ami. Ami could feel the disbelief rolling off of Rei in waves. She supposed that it must be difficult to accept the information that the boy you have a crush on is an enemy that wants to kill you and destroy the world. Ami wouldn't know personally, she had known all of that before she realized that she was attracted to Konjou.  
  
"You're lying." Rei finally replied.  
  
"No, actually I'm not. Tenjin is Mordaki, Konjou is Neko, and Hikage is either Jander or Mordred. I'm not sure which with him, but I know he isn't Lor because Mori said that Lor was tormenting Setsuna, and Hikage seems attracted to Hotaru."  
  
"Where would you get a crazy idea like that?" Rei practically yelled at her.  
  
It was then that Ami remembered the Glamour. Without evidence nothing she could say would convince Rei of the truth. Ami quickly summoned her computer and began typing commands furiously into it.  
  
"Look Rei, look at the energy readings. Look at the physical capabilities. Think about how they do in school. They know more than the teachers do." She pleaded.  
  
"You're just jealous that they do better than you do." Rei snapped back at her.  
  
Ami was getting angry now. She knew it wasn't Rei's fault but that last comment had been low. The Glamour that protected the Senshi would have crumbled by now, it was just further proof on how powerful the Primarchs were. She grabbed Rei by the arm and shook her.  
  
"Rei, they have a Glamour like ours, you have to fight it. Think of your miko training, don't let their magic control you."  
  
For an instant she could see the struggle in Rei's eyes, then the fire of her faith in Ami's words died out under the force of the Glamour. Ami growled in rage and accessed the magic of one of the charms she now had on her anklet. The world lurched around her and she materialized in Konjou's kitchen, teleporting Rei along with her.  
  
"Konjou," she said her tone deadly cold, "don't you think it's about time to stop playing around."  
  
Konjou looked up from the bubbling sauce he was preparing and paused in surprise at seeing Rei there. His eyes narrowed dangerously at Ami, who stood her ground without fear. Rei seemed nearly catatonic at the teleportation.  
  
"Ami, I didn't give you that butterfly charm to take your friends on rides." Konjou said coldly. "And somehow I doubt that you brought her here for a threesome, so maybe you might want to start explaining to me what this is all about, before I decide to spank you." His voice carried definite threat.  
  
"Excuse me," Rei said, "but how did I get here."  
  
She was genuinely confused. It would have taken more than just her and Ami to have enough power for a Sailor Teleport, and she knew that Ami would never appear in front of a civilian, even if they could have teleported. The fact that they were both still untransformed made the situation even more confusing. With her brain overloading trying to process impossible data she did the only thing she could. She fainted.  
  
Ami caught Rei before she got anywhere near the floor. Once Rei had been safely dealt with she turned her attention to Konjou.  
  
"As I was saying, don't you think its time for childish games to end?"  
  
"Maybe you might want to start at the beginning of this rant, sprite, and don't forget to include the part about teleporting Rei into my kitchen."  
  
Ami growled in frustration and fought to keep from throwing something at him. She was having far more trouble controlling her temper since becoming involved with Konjou. Speaking in clipped tones she managed to explain the situation to him. He laughed aloud at her frustration in trying to break the Glamour on Rei.  
  
"The computer helped you from the beginning Ami-chan. It kept the Glamour from ever really getting a hold on your mind, but it can't break it once its already entrenched. She needs to be told by one of us, or have the spell removed."  
  
"Then break it. She needs to see the truth, unless of course you want Mori getting mad at me for telling her about what I found out in the locker." Konjou seemed to consider that for a moment then nodded.  
  
"I'll break the Glamour, as long as you have her go to the park at midnight. Oh, and you have to tell her the truth about us. If I have to deal with Mori chewing me out about giving away our secrets to the enemy, then you have to deal with your friends knowing you're a closet, or locker, hentai."  
  
"Konjou." she said warningly.  
  
"All of it too, no skimping on the details. You have to tell her about all of your little games of trying to get a sample of me." He laughed at her surprised look. "What, you think I didn't notice all the stuff you did? Ami, I'm only a few million years younger than the universe. It's a bit harder than that to trick me. Mostly though, I want you to confess to her about becoming my lover. If you feel that it's important enough to do that, I will remove the spell."  
  
"Fine, I'll do it."  
  
Konjou seemed slightly shocked, then he smiled. He walked over to where Rei lay on the floor and snapped his fingers over her face.  
  
"There, I've removed the spell."  
  
"Just like that?" she asked. He nodded happily at her disbelieving stare. "No tracing mystic symbols, no chanting in strange creepy sounding languages, no lights, not thunderclaps. You just snap your fingers and she's cured?" He continued to nod his grin getting even larger. "That is so unfair."  
  
"I am the absolute master of will magic Ami-chan, I didn't even need to snap my fingers, I just did it so there would be something for you to see." He laughed at her growl and drew her into his embrace. "Are you teleporting back over tonight?"  
  
"Yes, I'm not spending another night that I don't have to alone."  
  
"You know nothing terrible will happen to you tomorrow, right? Neither Mori nor I are going to kill anyone."  
  
"You can't be sure about that. You might have to."  
  
"The only way we would have to kill anyone was if they put our lives or the mission in dire peril, and unless you happen to have weapons made out of either of our Allergen then that won't be an issue."  
  
He kissed her deeply, and was rewarded by the feeling of her nipples tightening against his chest. Their hands had begun to wander out of anything that could be mistaken for platonic, and into pornographic when they heard the front door being unlatched. Ami's eyes widened frantically at the sound of Mina's voice.  
  
"Oh Ten-chan, that was just wonderful. I'll never understand how you get us in places without reservations."  
  
"Call it a gift, koishii. Now, what was that you said in the elevator, something about this." Tenjin's voice carried into the kitchen, followed by a squeal of pleasure from Mina.  
  
"I have to get out of here." Ami said as she grabbed Rei. "Well, any time you're ready." With no obvious motions by Konjou, she and Rei appeared once again in the fire room of the Jinja.  
  
Ami layed Rei back down on the floor and waited patiently. Things were about to get interesting.  
  
******** "You did what!" Rei screamed.  
  
"I seduced him." Ami repeated. "It seemed like the logical thing to do at the time. I mean I knew who he was, but had no way to prove it. Of course I know now that nothing I did would have convinced any of you who he is, but the plan seemed sound."  
  
"But. but. You slept with an enemy!" Rei shrieked.  
  
"Would you get over that. It's far more important that you realize what that means for you." Ami said sounding exasperated. "If Konjou is actually Neko, what does that mean for Tenjin."  
  
"Oh Kami-sama, Niccolai must have killed the real Konjou and replaced him, we have to warn Tenjin."  
  
Ami felt like crying, even with the Glamour shut off she still had to pound the truth into Rei's head. That must have been some spell, she thought.  
  
"No Rei-chan, Neko didn't kill the real Konjou, there never was a real Konjou, just like there was never a real Tenjin. Tenjin is Mordaki."  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes, you have no idea how tired I am of trying to convince you of this. Look, I know that you don't want to believe it, so I have a couple of visual aids ready for you."  
  
An hour later Ami smiled as a shell shocked Rei fully digested the truth of the situation. After a few minutes of shaking her head and shivering, Rei looked up at Ami with a horrified expression. She seemed highly disturbed by something.  
  
"Does Mina know?" She whispered.  
  
"No, according to Neko, Mori hasn't told her."  
  
"It's going to kill her when she finds out. She loves him Ami. Really loves him, you have no idea what this is going to mean to her. She's been talking about him like Usagi does about Mamoru. I think she's honestly planning to spend the rest of her life with him."  
  
"Weren't you planning on trying to steal him less than two hours ago?" Ami commented at her defence of Mina.  
  
"That was different. If he left her for me it would have proved to her it wasn't real love. This doesn't end the love, it just means he's been lying to her from the beginning."  
  
"It's not like she was exactly honest about who she was either."  
  
"How long has he known who she was?" Rei wondered.  
  
"Since the first time they made love I believe. You see, the other girls forgot to tell us that our planetary symbol glows when we. well when we have an orgasm."  
  
"It what?" Rei asked too calmly.  
  
"You heard me correctly."  
  
"I'm going to kill them, all of them. Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, Usagi, Mamoru and the cats, they had to have known that. Why didn't they tell us?" She yelled.  
  
"I don't know, but I plan on taking it up with them fairly soon. I'm just waiting until after tomorrow." At Rei's questioning glare she continued. "It would hardly have been a good idea for them to realize I was sleeping with the enemy before the battle. They might have tried something foolish."  
  
Ami looked down at her watch and grimaced. She quickly gathered her bag and stood. She looked directly at Rei and made it clear she would hear no argument as she spoke.  
  
"I promised that you would be at the park at midnight, don't make a liar of me." With that she said goodbye and left, leaving a very confused Rei sitting alone in the room.  
  
******** Rei leapt from roof to roof crossing the city at an amazing pace. She wasn't exactly sure why she had decided to do as Ami asked, but she knew why she hadn't told the other Senshi. She could clearly remember the power of the Glamour that had held her in thrall. She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that the others wouldn't believe her.  
  
She could see the park just ahead of her now. She leapt down and crossed into it. Finding who she was looking for was not difficult at all. Tenjin stood by a park bench next to the lake, his hands in his pockets and a sad expression on his face.  
  
"Hello Sailor Mars." He said quietly. "If you need the park I'll leave." Tenjin began to slowly walk past her towards the path to the road.  
  
"And just where do you think you're going?" she asked hostilely.  
  
"I was getting out of your way, I don't really want company right now, and you look like you don't either."  
  
"Stay where you are Tenjin, or should I say Mordaki." He seemed unsurprised by her use of his real name.  
  
"I don't want to fight you Mars. I really just want to be alone."  
  
"Why, plotting what to lie to Mina about next, or are you satisfied with this batch. Tell me Mordaki, do you get your pleasure from actually fucking them, or just from breaking their hearts." Her words dripped venom.  
  
Tenjin exhaled deeply and continued to walk away, ignoring her and her words as best he could. The only sign that he heard her was the way his hands had clenched into fists.  
  
"Well Mordaki, which is it. Or better yet, why don't you tell me how much magic you had to use to get her to sleep with you. I know she." There was no warning, one instant Tenjin had been walking away from her, and the next she was pressed against a tree so hard she could hear the trunk cracking under the strain. Mordaki had dropped his Tenjin appearance and was now surrounded by a golden radiance so brilliant it was painful to look at. Most odd was the fact that he had never moved. He was still standing twenty or thirty metres from her, holding her against the tree with his will alone.  
  
"I didn't need to use magic to win her heart Rei. She loved me of her own free will. I bet you want to take her place don't you? It must eat at you to know that you'll always be second place to women like her." His voice was filled with pain and hate. "I know why you asked about magic, you were hoping I'd do the same for you weren't you. I heard all about you and that fool Mamoru from Mina, were you going to ask me to make him want you?"  
  
Rei screamed in rage at his insults, and clawed desperately against the force that held her against the tree. The feeling of being held faded and she launched herself across the distance to Mori. She swept out with her foot, hoping to knock him off balance. She knew intellectually she had no chance against him one on one, but she was far too angry to care. He ducked under a sloppy circle kick and twirled out of range.  
  
"Not bad, Rei. You get a little faster an the old men in the walkers wont be able to dodge you anymore." He leaned to the side avoiding another kick and tripped her with a lightning fast sweep. She rolled to her feet and struck out with a palm strike to where she expected him to be in follow up to the trip. He was five metres away with his hands behind his back.  
  
She shrieked at the insult and hurled herself at him again. Her strikes never even got close to him, unless he used it to throw her. She was panting with anger and exertion in less than a minute. She tried another knife hand strike, and followed with a circle kick into the expected dodge. He ducked down under the foot as if he had known her plan.  
  
"You know, if that skirt were any shorter I'd know for certain if black was your natural hair colour." She growled low in her throat at the comment and redoubled her efforts to kill him. He taunted her by flipping the front of her skirt up as he dodged her next attack, his eyes lingered on the crotch of her fuku and he laughed. "Why Rei-chan, that fuku is so tight I can tell you shave. Unless you just haven't finished puberty."  
  
She threw all caution to the wind as she attacked him all out, giving absolutely no thought to defence. He quickly captured her and pulled her against his chest. She struggled with all of her strength but couldn't even manage to wiggle his grip. She stomped down onto the instep of his foot but might as well have kicked a rock. The way she was held kept her from utilizing a woman's last resort. Her struggles became even more frantic when he ran his hand over her chest.  
  
"No, you've definitely finished puberty. That only leaves one option."  
  
"Let me go you hentai psychopath." She snarled.  
  
"Why, so many of your thoughts seem to want me to do this." He said as he rubbed his hand over her chest again. To her horror she could feel her nipples tighten from the sensation.  
  
She turned her head and bit his arm as hard as she could, he didn't seem to notice and went on with fondling her. His hand traced down her side and drew over her hips. It was all she could do not to cry out in pleasure at the contact.  
  
"Let me go, now. This is not what I want." She said harshly.  
  
"You know, if I couldn't read your mind I'd do it, but since I can read your mind, and I know just how much you actually want me to continue." his words trailed off and he leaned down and began kissing her neck. She shuddered in pleasure at the contact and unconsciously began to rub her butt against his crotch. She could feel the instant reaction and gasped at the firmness now pressing into her.  
  
He pinched her nipple and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. She threw her head back and moaned at the sensation. She knew this was wrong, but it felt so right. She didn't really want this, despite how her body reacted. Yes part of her wanted Tenjin, or Mordaki as she knew he really was, but it was completely outvoted by her common sense, and her loyalty to Mina. As if he had heard her thoughts, he halted his touch immediately when she considered Mina's reaction.  
  
"Oh my god, what am I doing?" he asked out loud. He pushed her gently away from him and released his hold on her once she was at arm distance. "I'm sorry, Rei-san. My actions are inexcusable."  
  
She didn't know what to say. He was the enemy, it was her duty to defend the people of earth from him, but he was also Tenjin, the man she loved. She was torn between her feelings and obligation until she looked into his eyes. They were filled with regret.  
  
He was at fault here. He had almost cheated on Mina, and she hadn't exactly been willing, but to be honest she wasn't exactly opposed either. It was a very strange situation to be in. How should you feel when the man you love nearly rapes you? She wondered. She came to her decision fairly quickly. She stepped closer and drew him into a hug, after a few minutes she felt they were both ready to talk.  
  
"So do you want to talk about it?" She asked looking up at him. From the angle she was at she could see many similarities between his Tenjin and Mori appearances. It was a bit odd to have to look up like this at him, but it was easy to recall the many friendly conversations.  
  
"Where do you want to start." He said in his traditional question. She bit back a laugh at the strangeness of hearing it after what had just happened.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
"I come here every night around this time."  
  
"Well, I actually meant why are you here on earth, but we'll start with the park. Why do you come here every night?"  
  
"Mina, I can't stand deceiving her, but she'd hate me if she knew the truth. People don't generally like Agony Bindings."  
  
"I think you might be surprised by her capacity to forgive, she a lot like Usagi in that. But I'll ask you, what is an Agony Binding, and why did you put one on her?"  
  
"An Agony Binding is a spell that makes you hurt, that's it. It can just make you hurt until you die, or it can have triggers. The one I used had a trigger. I bound her against trying to harm me and we both saw it happen. It's why she had those seizures during lunch that day."  
  
"Oh Kami-sama, I thought she was going to die."  
  
"She would have, I healed her and of course that halted the progression. She must have been thinking about the fight or something, it wouldn't have triggered without her choosing to hurt me. I didn't know what happened to Mina that day. I didn't dare use too much magic out in the open. The Kami only knew where those nosy psychotic Senshi were." He smiled at her as he said that.  
  
"You mean you couldn't tell she was under a spell?"  
  
"Not without probing deeper and I wasn't about to do that in my Tenjin disguise. It would have been like holding up a sign."  
  
"Do you love her?"  
  
"Yes, it's scary really. You have no idea what its like to watch the passing of eons. I've been alive since the beginning of the universe Rei. I watched the first stars born. I've never been in love before though. It's like.like suddenly realising that I've only been half alive all this time. When she's with me everything is brighter, more beautiful, everything makes sense. But when she gone it's like I'm slowly wasting away. There's no point for my existence without her anymore it seems. And I'm going to loose her because it's all based on deception."  
  
"That won't happen. No matter what you believe, I know Mina. I swear to you that she loves Tenjin more than she hates Mori. She may be angry, she may scream, cry or any number of bad things, but she'll come back because she loves you. And once she remembers that, she won't care what your name is, or how old you really are. All she'll care about is that you love her too."  
  
"Thank you Rei-chan, I can't tell you how much I needed to hear that."  
  
"Next question. Why are you doing all of this?" She said with a wave of her hand. He knew she was asking about his attacks on the humans.  
  
"Do you love your Jinja?" he asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How would you feel if you laid down for a nap and when you woke up a visitor had chopped down half the walls, used them for firewood and started a porn shop in the courtyard?"  
  
"I'd be very angry."  
  
"Would you kick them out?"  
  
"If they were lucky. I'd probably beat them to death with a broom."  
  
"Then you can understand how I feel about the earth. Its mine Rei- chan, I made it. It's the closest thing to a home I have. I spent a billion years in the blackness of space before there were any planets. I remember when the first world appeared. We didn't know what to think of it. It wasn't a star, it was very cold in comparison, and it was so tiny. It was hardly a mote next to the star it orbited. I landed on it while its surface was still nothing more than molten rock. Much closer to plasma really. I knew it was something significant. This world was modelled after that first one. It was billions of years after the star that held it world went nova and destroyed it that I made its copy."  
  
"You actually made the earth?" she said with awe and more than a little disbelief.  
  
"Not just the earth, the entire solar system. I made it as a place for me to go, to be alone. The other Primarchs knew this was my territory, and the early Ulterran were too terrified of us to even think of disputing my command to stay away."  
  
"I understand, sort of, but it's been twenty thousand years since you went to sleep, you couldn't have expected it to remain unchanged for that long. You had to know humans would progress."  
  
"Rei, the Ulterran culture remained static for six billion years, why should the mortals have been any different? Twenty thousand years was nothing compared to that."  
  
"Why did you come to Juuban?"  
  
"Neko and I felt the recent presence of four of the five Crystals, and the energy residue of the fifth. It was a pretty good bet that we could find the decedents of our servants here."  
  
"Five? I only know of four crystals."  
  
"Jander's emerald was never actually here, but I could feel its corruption and chaos energies. Probably someone that had been infected with its power was here. Someone so far gone there was no chance for redemption." Mori stopped and looked at the moon, it was nearly full. "I have to get back, Mina will wake up in a few minutes and I don't want her to worry about me."  
  
Rei leaned up and brushed a kiss across his lips, before backing out of his embrace. It was harder than she had expected. She reached out and took his hand. For one last instant she pressed it against her cheek then she let go.  
  
"Go." She said. "Get out of here before Mina wakes up."  
  
Mori vanished in a little flash of golden light. Rei stood staring at where he had been only moments before. Her composure hardly lasted longer than the after image of his light. Rei fell to the ground crying at the injustice of a universe that would repeatedly offer her what she needed only to snatch it away when she tried to take hold of it.  
  
******** By unanimous consent all of the Senshi chose to skip school on Saturday. Not even Ami wanted to spend the last hours before a battle like this in class. They had gathered at the Jinja early in the morning to discuss strategy. It wasn't difficult to decide who would take on which Primarch. Only four of the Senshi had the ability to harm Mordaki with their magical attacks, and only Haruka stood any chance at all of surviving hand to hand combat with him. That left the other four Senshi and Mamoru to take on Niccolai.  
  
Ami had surprising revelations about the capabilities of the Primarchs. According to her she had learned much about them from her computers scanners. She claimed there was no real chance of defeating them without a miracle, but she had many sound pieces of advice for injuring them.  
  
After several hours of planning the meeting dissolved into a gathering of friends. It didn't take long for Mina to call over to Tenjin's and invite him to join them. She had made her intention to skip school known to him and he had chosen to join her in her truancy. What was surprising was that Konjou and Hikage had also done the same. Less than fifteen minutes later the boys arrived at the Jinja and the fun began.  
  
The girls tried their hardest to crowd nearly everything they had ever wanted to do in that single day. It seemed that they would hardly arrive somewhere before they were off to do something else, amidst laughter and companionship. Even Haruka seemed on her best behaviour. Not once during the entire day did she complain about Hikage's presence or his proximity to Hotaru, it seemed that her belief that this would be their last day allowed her to see what everyone else already knew. He made Hotaru happy.  
  
The sun began to dip towards the horizon when Ami's communicator went off. She looked curiously at Konjou and went to discover what her computer was trying to tell her. The other girls did their best to distract the boys from Ami's actions while she checked the readouts. Her computer was picking up massive pulses of Neko's energy from the vicinity of the Park. She glared at Konjou, who returned it with an innocent expression, and quickly took the girls aside to explain the information.  
  
They made their excuses to the boys and quickly dashed off towards the park, with only one stop along the way. A few blocks from their intended destination, with the Mercury computer now emitting a constant warning about the presence of massive amounts of energy, the girls readied for battle.  
  
"Mercury Crystal Power,"  
  
"Venus Crystal Power,"  
  
"Mars Crystal Power,"  
  
"Jupiter Crystal Power,"  
  
"Saturn Planet Power,"  
  
"Uranus Planet Power,"  
  
"Neptune Planet Power,"  
  
"Pluto Planet Power,"  
  
"Moon Eternal,"  
  
"Make Up!" they all shouted in unison.  
  
Seconds later the alley was filled with chromatic bursts of light, and flashes of magical energy. Nine young women and one male assumed their magical disguises and prepared themselves for war. They left the alley as soon as their transformations had stopped and dashed the remaining blocks to the park.  
  
The Senshi entered the park alert for anything that might possibly be an ambush. Though Sailor Moon and gotten them to agree to a formal challenge, most of the Senshi couldn't believe that this enemy would behave differently than their previous foes. As of yet in their careers as Senshi they had never battled anyone that could have even been confused with having honour, so their precautions were quite well ingrained.  
  
They needn't have bothered however for their opponents stood casually before the lake watching the recently restocked fish jump. The Primarchs turned at their arrival and bowed formally to the Senshi.  
  
"Ahh, so good of you to be prompt." Niccolai said with a smile.  
  
Sailor Moon stepped forward and took on a look of pleading, her large blue eyes filled with tears and even her hair drooped like sad bunny ears.  
  
"Please, have you considered any other way in the month since we last talked? We don't have to fight. We don't want to be your enemies. All we want is to protect people. You know about defending life. I know you don't really want to hurt people, you didn't kill anyone at all when you did all made the oil derricks and power plants disappear."  
  
"Our paths are set." Neko said firmly. "Were the people you defend so adherently less destructive, we would agree, and even comply, but that is not the case."  
  
"Despite everything, it seems we must do battle. I do not wish it, but it is unavoidable." Mori said.  
  
The Senshi quickly split into two groups, with Venus, Moon, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto arraying themselves against Mori, and Mercury, Endymion, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune forming up against Neko. The atmosphere was highly tense, anything at all could have triggered the battle. When a beam of light emitted from the Garnet Orb in Setsuna's staff it nearly started.  
  
The light shined away from the two groups. No mater how Pluto oriented the staff, the light continued to illuminate the same place. After a few seconds an enormously tall man stood in the beam. He was close to two and a half metres tall, with long dark blond hair gathered in a loose ponytail, and very very pale blue eyes. He was dressed in the same style clothing as Mori and Neko, making it quite simple for the Senshi to determine he was a Primarch, as if the metre thick red aura weren't enough of a clue. The Senshi quickly recognised him from the memory crystal, it was Lor.  
  
Fire began to spiral from the ground in three points next to the new arrival. The three spirals converged at a point somewhat under two metres in the air. The spirals increased in speed until they seemed a solid roughly man shaped fire. The flames vanished all at once leaving a red haired man with a complexion very much like Setsuna's his violet eyes stared impassively at the Senshi, sending a chill down more than one spine. His aura was pulled in tight around him, but there was absolutely no mistaking, Mordred, the Primarch of Entropy, the only being in existence Mori and Neko feared, had arrived.  
  
A bolt of lightning struck the ground on the other side of Lor. A negative image of a man seemed to appear in the brief instant of the bolt's existence. A fraction of a second later the phenomenon repeated itself, again the Man shape was visible, but only inside the bolt. More bolts began to fall, faster and faster constantly bathing the area in blinding light save for the small area of blackness in the shape of a man. The bolts halted suddenly and there was calm. The Senshi looked around, but saw no trace of the shadow figure. Three bolts struck the ground as one and when the glare faded a tall violet haired, heavily muscled man stood with a smirk watching them. A large green aura surrounded him. Even without it or the obvious style of clothing the Senshi would have recognised him. The smirk was identical to the one he wore twenty thousand years ago during the presentation.  
  
Their attention was drawn by Mori clapping lightly as he looked at the other three Primarchs.  
  
"Oh good one Jander." He said. "He's got my vote for best entrance."  
  
"I'm going to have to agree, sorry guys." Neko said.  
  
"Yea, Jander gets the cool point. That puts him tied with Lor right Neko?"  
  
"Umm, I'm going to have to check later, it's been a bit."  
  
Sailor Uranus seemed irritated by the lack of concern and attention the Primarchs were paying her. She took a step forward and readied her talisman to release its attack on the unsuspecting Mori.  
  
"I would not do that Uranus," Mordred said without even looking at her. "I was about to do something nice for you Senshi, but if you continue with that action I will just kill you where you stand. Nothing personal."  
  
Haruka froze in mid action, something about his pleasant tone made her take him very seriously. It was much like the tone Hotaru had used when she informed Nehelenia of her willingness to destroy them both to save the Princess.  
  
"Mori, Neko, You will not use the greater powers that are your heritage in this contest. There is no question that they stand no chance against you should you wield your full capabilities. You will limit yourselves only to those powers that you can not halt, and those skills you have learned in the long experience of your lives. As your opponents utilize magic so may you, but only that magic that you call upon in the manner of mortals. Further they need not actually defeat you to be judged the winner of this contest, merely give you sufficient difficulty. Do you understand?"  
  
"That's completely unfair Mordred. They challenged us, we get to choose the weapons."  
  
"They challenged the Primarchs, and I chose the weapons. Only if your life is in danger may you violate my restrictions."  
  
"Fine." Neko said with irritation.  
  
"Agreed." Mori replied.  
  
"Go." Mordred spoke.  
  
The words had hardly left Mordred's mouth before the magic started to fly. Pluto fired a Dead Scream at Mori and Endymion summoned the unimaginable power of the Golden Crystal. Their attacks had gotten no more than a few centimetres from them when the rest of the Senshi released theirs in a prismatic shower of deadly radiance.  
  
Neko was more than ready for the incoming assault. Unlike the last time he had battled them, he now knew about the Golden Crystal. He was thirty times stronger and more than ten times faster than his opponents. He knew their tactics and capabilities. Most important, he never made the same mistake twice. Before Mordred's words had finished, before Endymion's eyes could register the change in his location Neko leapt eight stories nearly straight up. The deadly magic crossed harmlessly underneath him.  
  
Mori had been planning his actions for this battle for a month. The Senshi were highly predictable. They only had access to a few magical abilities, and even fewer of those had any chance of causing him the slightest amount of harm. Mori rolled out of the way of the slow moving attacks and crossed the distance to his primary target, Sailor Pluto. He had nearly struck when two things halted him.  
  
Usagi watched as her attack flew through where Mori had been. He had easily dodged it and everyone else's. Only Mina had yet to release her magic, and Usagi knew why. There was no way to tell if it would react like it had last time. Mina needed to be sure of a hit on him before wasting what might easily be her only contribution to the battle. He closed in on Setsuna, clearly intending to take her out of the fight now. She saw him hesitate and attempt to stop his fist for some reason, but it was too late.  
  
Makoto dived out of the way of Endymion's failed attack, and came up spitting dirt. Neko was wicked fast. He had dodged their attacks with casual ease, but now he was falling towards Endymion, and had no way to manoeuvre out of the path of her attack. She called on her power once again and leaflets of energy screamed towards him.  
  
There was little Hotaru could do this early in the battle. Her attacks were simply too indiscriminate to use before it became imperative. She had instead decided to stay near the Princess and defend her with the Silence wall, should it become necessary. She watched in despair as Mori ignored the Princess to attack Setsuna. There was nothing she could do but watch as the first Senshi was doomed to fall.  
  
The wave of her Deep Submerging passed harmlessly underneath Neko and impacted with Mars' flame sniper. The resultant explosion of energy was ignored in the greater scheme of the battle. Neko's intentions were obvious to her, but there was nothing she could do at this point. Her attack was too slow to reach him before he struck Endymion. Knowing that she would have to answer for her actions later, Michiru began her attack with Endymion himself as the target. If she was correct Neko would be in the way before it landed.  
  
Haruka chased after Mori, her magical attacks were worthless against him, but she still had her sword. She was confident that no one could defeat her in hand to hand combat while she was transformed. She was easily the strongest and toughest of the Senshi, her skills had been honed in countless battles during the time of the Moon Kingdom. She refused to be defeated. She was no more than a half a dozen metres from him when that attack struck.  
  
Rei rolled away from the explosion caused by the impact of her and Michiru's attacks. The shockwave did little damage but caused her to loose where Neko had gone. She had no fear of dying now. Last night had proven to her that Mori wouldn't allow them to be killed, but she still had a job to do. Usagi was depending on her to help save the people of earth, and from how Mori had explained himself last night, she knew they needed defending. She finally found Neko streaking down on Mamoru like a meteor. She winced in sympathy for the upcoming pain.  
  
Mina had to try it, there was no other choice. The battle had long since receded into slow motion for her. Only Mori and Neko seemed to be moving at normal speeds, but she knew it was the other way around. She was once again accelerated to a blur. Mori was almost within reach of Setsuna when she reacted. She prayed desperately that she would somehow remain standing despite the terrible backlash of her attack, and released her Love and Beauty Shock.  
  
Ami watched in wonder the slow motion ballet of the battle. She knew what was happening, Mina had described the effects far too accurately for her to mistake this. Somehow, her power was surging like Mina's. A quick look around showed everyone save Mina and the Primarchs slowly reacting to the changing course of events. She came to the decision to risk using her magic despite the disastrous results Mina had encountered. Changing tactics quickly she used the strongest attack she possessed that had no recoil, the Mercury Aqua Mirage.  
  
Setsuna didn't need the Time Gates to see her future at the moment. She was about to get her ass kicked. There was no time to dodge, no time to block, or counter, and no one to save her. For some reason Mori had chosen to remove her from the battle first, and there was nothing she or anyone could do about it. She had just resolved herself to possibly never waking up, when the wave of kinetic energy batted Mori aside like a toy.  
  
Endymion's eyes widened when he finally realised where Neko had gone. It was too late to avoid the attack, but he braced himself for the pain. Neko's flying body check slammed him into the ground and his head rebounded off it. He saw stars but was still conscious. He fought his unresponsive limbs trying to get the crystal oriented at Neko. He needed to do something to injure him before he was taken completely out of the fight. His arms stubbornly refused to lift, indicting just how injured he was.  
  
Mori tried his best to halt his momentum, but with Mordred's order not to use his full abilities, he couldn't overcome his inertia quick enough to save Setsuna from the attack. He hadn't noticed until he was very close, her Glamour and the massive amount of magical energy in the air had made a very effective screen for it from his senses, but at this distance nothing could have blocked this kind of information from him. Setsuna was as of this second a non-combatant, she was pregnant. He would not hurt her if he could at all help it. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't stop himself. He was actually relieved when Mina's hyper- accelerated magical attack knocked him out of attack range of Pluto.  
  
"Kalsandra Kalrah!" He shouted when he finally stopped rolling. He teleported directly behind Pluto and caught her as she fell into the deep enchanted slumber he had placed her in. "Sleep well little Senshi," he said as he kissed her lightly on the temple. A worried look crossed his face as he looked at Mina. She wasn't moving in slow motion like the rest of his opponents. In fact she appeared to be staying up with him. The thing that frightened him though was what he felt from her. In the instant of her attack the local gravity around her had increased ten fold. It was absolutely impossible for anyone to alter natural forces within several kilometres of him, but somehow she had done it. He screamed in pain as a line of agony sliced across his back.  
  
Neko was moderately surprised that Endymion was still conscious after that hit. In fact not only was he still conscious, he was still trying to fight. It made him happy that the however many greats granddaughter of Lunari had chosen such a strong lover. Of course he couldn't allow him to remain awake and possibly strike back with that damn crystal while he was dealing with the other Senshi. Neko struck out quickly, with just this side of enough force to crush Endymion's skull. Endymion's head was driven into the ground like a tack, he was obviously out of the battle. The delay cost Neko though, as a dozen or more spears of elemental water magic ripped through him.  
  
Haruka had gotten behind Mori in the confusion caused by Mina's attack. He seemed preoccupied with staring at Mina which was fine with her. If Mina's beauty could be used as a weapon against Mori then she wouldn't complain. She slashed out viciously with the Space Sword. Its glowing crystalline blade sliced a line across his back, but failed to create more than a shallow cut. Still that was far more effective than any of her magic had been.  
  
Michiru's Deep Submerging interlaced with the amazingly fast Aqua Mirage, forming an attack of a power never before seen. It ripped through Neko, piercing his body in a score of places. When the magic dissipated he was still standing, though leaning heavily over. She quickly fired another attack, and prayed that he wouldn't recover in time to avoid it. She cast a quick eye to where Ami had been standing, and found the place empty. She marvelled at the power displayed by the younger girl, and gave up looking for her. Ami could always be trusted to do her job.  
  
Usagi watched in sick fascination as Mori counterattacked against Haruka. His fist hammered into her stomach hard enough to make her immediately throw up. He spun in a graceful circle so quickly he seemed a blur to her, and Haruka was down. Usagi had finally had enough time to recharge her magic enough for another attack. It flew towards him, seemingly unseen, only to be dodged at the last possible instant.  
  
Makoto couldn't keep track of her opponent. By the time she prepared her attack, he was already elsewhere harassing one of her partners. At the moment she was almost as afraid of Ami as Neko. Ami had rushed past her, fast enough to be nothing more than a blue blur, and attacked Neko hand to hand. It was a suicide manoeuvre. She knew how pointless it was to take on Neko like that, but not only was she doing it, she was holding up better than Makoto could have. Makoto took the opportunity to fire an Oak Evolution at Neko's back, and nearly jumped in elation when it struck and staggered him.  
  
Hotaru knew that either she or Usagi was next. Mori seemed to be avoiding conflict with Mina. She was at a loss to explain why, but it was easy to see. She brought up her Silence Wall, and hoped it would hold against the titanic energies her opponent possessed. She caught a bit of movement from where Haruka lay, and schooled her expression to impassivity. She would not allow her face to betray the fact that Mori had left a conscious opponent behind him.  
  
Rei again missed Neko with her flame sniper. Even wounded he moved too quickly for truly accurate attacks. The arrow of fire narrowly missed Ami, who was really far too close to Neko for any of the scouts to actually use magic on him. She yelled her apologies, and readied another Flame Sniper.  
  
She gathered the energy for another attack. Mina knew that the surprise of her enhanced speed and power had already worn off. She needed to try something new on Mori, or he would simply dodge her attack. The amount of power it took to keep herself from flying backwards with the recoil of the Love and Beauty Shock, was nearly prohibitive. Switching to an attack she rarely used Mina unleashed the Rolling Heart Vibration.  
  
Ami felt the nearly uncontrollable desire to laugh, to cry, to cheer at the feeling of power flowing through her. The high of her enhanced energy was much like sex. It surged through her, allowing her to engage Neko in hand to hand combat in a way no other Senshi save Mina could have matched. She shrugged off the hammer blows of his hands like they were nothing. She smiled secretly at him, and knew he returned her sentiments. The feeling of freedom and joy turned their duel into something closer to a sparing match. Her joy turned once again to a competitive spirit when he used her distraction to flick her on the nose.  
  
Mori flared his aura, adding a minor regenerative spell to the already complex overlapping layers of magical defence enshrouding him. He dodged another of Moon's oversized heart shaped magical attacks, and strode up to the extremely powerful barrier spell erected by Sailor Saturn. He had it analyzed long before he arrived, and knew it would require ridiculous amounts of power of overcome it. Instead of wasting that amount of power, he pulled a trick only he of all the beings in the universe could do.  
  
The gate he opened was not much larger than his arm. He smiled as he waved to Saturn with his off hand. While he did so he reached through the gate, and grabbed the back of her neck through the opposite end of the gate, which he had placed behind her. He quickly applied a powerful electrical charge directly to the top of her spine, switching her off like a light. She slumped to the ground unconscious, and the barrier she had made winked out of existence. He was still smiling when Mina's attack slammed him through a tree reducing it to matchsticks.  
  
The battle was moving very quickly, Michiru couldn't recall ever being in anything quite this fast pace yet intense. She dodged out of the way of one of the small bolts of power Neko had been throwing in the last couple of seconds. He wasn't really trying to hit anyone directly with them, merely disrupt any attempts for them to organize against him. The tactic was highly effective. So far only Rei had been grazed by one of them and she was still cradling her burnt arm from hit.  
  
She darted closer, trying to get a clear line of fire that wouldn't include Ami. She wondered about Ami's change of tactics during the fight. Ami was nearly always reluctant and cautious in a battle. Her normal role was as support firepower. Currently she was toe to toe with the enemy and moving at speeds that beggared the imagination. Obviously something had changed about her. Michiru's momentary distraction proved to be disastrous, as one of the power bolts struck her directly in the face. She fainted from the pain long before she hit the ground.  
  
Haruka slowly crawled towards her Princess, doing her all to ignore the overwhelming pain. She had to tell her what she had learned. No two people fought the same, even if the had the same Sensei. It had taken her far too long to realise it, but she recognised Mori's combat style. She had fought him before, only they had both been disguised. She maintained crawling hoping to remain unnoticed until she finished her new mission. Only one phrase repeated itself in her mind over and over again, giving her the will to continue. Mori is Tenjin.  
  
He avoided yet another of Ami's fast but unskilled attacks, slapping her on the hand as it passed him by. She hissed at him in frustration at yet again being unable to either score a hit, or prevent him from attacking her friends. He fired yet another powerbolt this time at Jupiter, who was beginning to attack again. Those stupid leaves hurt, he thought. The bolt missed Jupiter by millimetres but it server its real purpose, the attack was averted.  
  
Neko grinned as he stepped closer to Ami, inside her guard and puller her into his embrace. She kicked at him and managed to score several bruising successes before he claimed her lips in a kiss. She quickly started to go lax in his arms, and he used her distraction to take Mars out of the fight with an unfocused kinetic burst, without Ami's interference. Sure she would hurt like hell when she woke up, but it wouldn't leave any marks.  
  
Usagi watched as Mori stood from where Mina's attack had blasted him. He slid impossibly to the side before he even completed the manoeuvre dodging her follow up attack. It was painfully obvious that her abilities were useless against him. She was just too slow. Usagi knew of only one way for her to achieve the power she needed to aid her quickly falling comrades. She withdrew the Sliver Crystal and began her transformation into her Moon Princess form.  
  
Mina allowed a smile of hope to light her face at seeing Usagi taking on her Princess form. Mori was about to find out just how powerful they really were. She savagely suppressed a moment of depression at having to hurt such a cute boy. She had Tenjin, assuming she survived, and that was more than enough. Still, she thought, Tenjin surely wouldn't fault her just for looking.  
  
She moved on to another attack and summoned her Love Me Chain. Mori was taken completely by surprise by its strength and appearance. Before he had a chance to move out of the way, she grabbed him with the chain and slammed him once again into the ground. She jumped for joy and brought him up for another bashing when the chain just disintegrated  
  
Makoto froze in absolute shock at seeing Ami wrapped in Neko's arms, getting the daylights kissed out of her and showing every indication of enjoying it. It was an unbelievable enough sight to make her question her sanity. She could hear Ami purr with pleasure when Neko's hands slid down her back to cup her butt and pull her tighter against him. Makoto couldn't attack him with her like that, so she simply tried to find a better angle of attack. She nearly fainted when Neko tilted Ami's face up to meet his eyes and spoke.  
  
"I'm sorry about this Ami-chan." He said, and quickly struck several nerve clusters on her neck and shoulders.  
  
"Neko-chan?..." was all she had time to say before she passed out.  
  
Usagi saw Haruka slowly and painfully crawling towards her. Her heart went out to the older girl that would fight on despite the unimaginable agony she must have been in. Usagi raised the Silver Crystal and poured healing energy into Haruka. She watched as the wounds healed in instants. Haruka stood and called out some kind of warning to her, but it was far too late. Mori had already struck by the time she realized her peril.  
  
Mori finished with the little Ulterran, and eased her quickly to the ground. He'd hated taking her down like that, but she had begun to heal her friends, and he just couldn't allow that. The only opponents left standing now were Mina and Uranus. He thought about finishing taking Uranus out of the fight, but Mina seemed the far greater threat. He changed his direction in mid step and moved to deal with his errant lover.  
  
Mina saw him begin to move towards her, and knew the time was now or never. She was much stronger and faster than any of the other Senshi. Her powers had somehow been magnified, and Setsuna's explanation didn't seem correct to her. She had never gone through anything like this during the time of the Moon Kingdom. Mina sighed and prepared to meet her cute enemy in combat.  
  
"If you're thinking I'm just a pretty blond, then in my case what you see is definitely not what you get. Sailor V is for victory!" She said to her opponent with an overly cute smirk. "Venus Chain Sword!" She screamed withdrawing the sword traditionally wielded by the leader of the Senshi from her subspace pocket.  
  
Every Primarch's head snapped around to look at Mina as she withdrew the sword. Lor, Jander, and Neko wore looks of shock, and in Neko's case more than a little guilt. Mordred had a look of confusion, something that would have made anyone who knew him run. Mori on the other hand had on an expression of fear and disbelief. Not only did he sense the sword was composed of a material he knew very well didn't exist in this solar system, but Mina, his lover and constant companion for the last month, stood proud before him, wrapped in a three centimetre thick aura of golden light, exactly like his own.  
  
His distraction was severe enough that he hardly noticed her move to attack. She swung the deadly Silverran sword at his chest. Only luck had his arm up in the proper position to block the blow, but it was at a severe cost. The instant the Blade encountered his Aura, the light gutted out and died like a candle in a hurricane. The sword bit deep into him, slicing into the bone. In a single strike Mina had accomplished a hundred times the damage of the rest of the attacks he had received today combined.  
  
It wasn't just his physical body that had been damaged by the sword. His aura itself, arguably the true form of a Primarch had been severely wounded. Mori howled with rage and pain, and struck Mina in a bone crushing reflexive action. She flew out of the park and slammed through the outer wall of an apartment building two hundred metres away. The sword fell to the ground where she was struck, she had been unconscious before she ever left the ground.  
  
Neko quickly struck the mesmerized Makoto with a powerful sleep spell, more to defend her from the backlash of Mori's pained psychic screaming then to eliminate her as a threat. He darted over to Mori, knowing the survival of every mortal within thousands of kilometres depended on the next several minutes. He watched in horror as Uranus grabbed the sword from where it lay and struck again at the wounded Mori.  
  
Mori just managed to collect himself enough to teleport out of range of the deadly weapon. He wasn't sure where Mina had gotten a Silverran weapon, but the responsible party was probably going to die. Only twice before in his existence had he actually came into contact with the organic metal. It was probably the only thing that could actually destroy him. Mordred had said that he couldn't access his greater powers unless his life was in jeopardy. This fit the description if anything did.  
  
His flesh bubbled and rapidly expanded. His form quickly stretched to over one hundred metres long. The amorphous mass solidified into a shape no one on earth had seen in thousands of years, but was still completely unmistakeable. The horrific fear that dragons wielded over the subconscious minds of mortals everywhere in the universe had caused the tales of their destructive activities to be passed down even in a world where such things were scoffed at.  
  
Haruka remained outwardly calm despite the gibbering horror that bubbled up inside of her. She was a mote next to the immenseness of her opponent. The sword she had placed such faith in seemed pathetically inadequate now. The beast roared its challenge into the air, and it was all she could do not to wet herself.  
  
Mori thrashed his tail back and forth, waiting for Uranus to take any action he could even misconstrue as hostile. The terrible wound on his front leg leaked steaming blood onto the ground. His claws dug deep into the soil, and the acidic smog of his breath hung in a cloud over the park choking the sleeping and unconscious Senshi.  
  
"Mori, calm down. There's no way they knew." Neko said as he directed the full power of his will magic into soothing Mori's wound. There was nothing he or anyone could do to actually heal the damage. Mori would spend weeks slowly recovering from that single hit. "Don't do this Mori."  
  
The sky had become completely black. Lor and Jander quickly erected magical shields over themselves, while Mordred simply put barriers over the downed Senshi. Lightning was falling more frequently than the raindrops in this powerful temper storm. Haruka unconsciously raised her hands to shield her ears from the continuous roar of thunder. All Mori saw was the sword coming up. Instantly Haruka became the target of choice for every bolt of lightning in the storm. The sword absorbed harmlessly every bolt that came within a sixty degree arc of its blade, but that hardly saved Haruka.  
  
Literally thousands of lightning bolts struck her simultaneously, and the assault continued for long seconds. Finally Mori ended the grotesque overkill by exhaling a cloud of concentrated sulphuric acid onto her remains. Neko stared in horror at Mori and the charred mass that had once been Haruka.  
  
"Holy shit Mori, overkill much?" Jander asked in an attempt to lighten the mood. No one other than Mordred could hope to remain impassive after that display.  
  
Mori returned to his normal form and materialized a length of cotton wrapping. He quickly and efficiently bound his wound and started off to go check on Mina. The sword that had started all of the trouble still lay untouched amidst the remains of Haruka.  
  
Ami began to stir, and the sound of her voice galvanized Neko into action. He ran over to her and quickly helped her to her feet. He did his best to shield her from the sight of her obliterated friend, but it was to no avail. One glance and a whiff of the air later and Neko was patting her back as she lost her last several meals.  
  
Ami stared at the remains for several seconds, once she regained her composure, trying to ascertain who it had been. She came to her decision through process of elimination rather than any actual physical evidence. When she began with the assumption that, despite the Moon Sword laying on it, it wasn't Mina, a quick look around determined who else it wasn't.  
  
"Neko, you have to fix that, before the rest of them wake up. Michiru and Usagi will not be able to handle it."  
  
"I assume you mean you want me to bring her back, rather than just discreetly teleporting her remains into the sun or something right?" When she nodded he shook his head wearily. "You want a lot. Mori went quite a bit out of his way to kill her you know. When he comes back if he sees her he's likely to do it again. I haven't ever seen him that angry before. I'd guess the only reason the planet is still here is he didn't want to hurt Mina."  
  
Despite his words, Neko began the difficult process of reassembling and restoring Haruka's body. It was almost a hopeless endeavour, but he persevered and soon the corpse looked as if she had simply died with no cause. Reviving her then was a simple matter. Haruka came up screaming in terror, her last thoughts and visions had yet to fade for her and Neko winced in sympathy for anything that had to face Mori's unbridled anger.  
  
"Haruka, you're safe now," Ami shouted to her. "You're ok, it's over."  
  
Haruka eventually stopped screaming, and looked around. When she found no sign of any one hundred metre reptiles she began searching for her fellow Senshi. She found them lined up in front of Mordred. He moved from Senshi to healing their minor wounds and gently waking them up.  
  
"What happened?" Endymion asked as he sat up.  
  
"We lost." Ami supplied helpfully.  
  
Just then Mori appeared carrying a badly wounded Mina. The wrapping on his arm had already turned red from blood seepage, and he seemed unable to hold Mina's weight very well with his wounded arm. He gently laid her down and traced his fingers over her forehead.  
  
"Wake up Mina-chan." He whispered. The other Senshi could just make out his words, and were very shocked to hear both her name, and the tone of affection come from him. "Come on koishii, wake up. I didn't mean to hit you like that."  
  
Haruka was watching every movement Mori made like squirrel watching an avalanche. There was nothing she could do but hope he passed her by. Michiru noted the look of fear, so foreign to Haruka's normal appearance, and asked her softly what it was about.  
  
"I'll never be able to explain it anata." Haruka said softly. Her choice of endearments, one a wife calls her husband, told Michiru much about the current state of her confidence. Something had shattered her confidence in a way nothing even had.  
  
Mina began to open her eyes, and Mori instantly assumed his Tenjin form. Loud gasps of surprise echoed over the park. Only Ami, Haruka, and Rei were unaffected. Mina, who had not completely opened her eyes before the change, easily allowed herself to be pulled into Tenjin's embrace.  
  
"I'm sorry koishii. I'm so sorry for hurting you." Tenjin rained kisses down on Mina's confused cheeks. She started in surprise when she realized that she was still in her Senshi fuku, and the rest of the girls around her were staring at Tenjin in wide eyed shock. She nearly leapt back out of his embrace when she noticed the bloody bandage on his arm, but he held her close to him.  
  
"What happened?" she whispered. She could see Ami standing with her arm around Neko, and the other Senshi huddled in a tight group around the princess and the still sleeping Pluto.  
  
"Allow me to answer that." Mordred said moving forward. His appearance rippled and became that of Hikage. He gave a short bow to the assembled Senshi, and pointed at Ami, who now had her arm around Konjou. Mina looked wild eyed back in the direction of Mordred/Hikage and noticed Lor become the new female P.E. Sensei Nakoudo-san. Jander just wiggled his eyebrows and shrugged.  
  
"The first thing you should know is you didn't exactly lose." Mordred continued. "But more important to you perhaps is the truth of who we are."  
  
It didn't take anyone very long to understand. With Ami nodding at them in confirmation, the Senshi came to the correct assumption within seconds. Mina summed up their reaction nicely.  
  
"You asshole!" she said as she smacked Tenjin across the face. 


	7. Aftermath

Chapter 7 : Aftermath  
  
Thanks to all who reviewed, I enjoy feedback more than I anticipated. We now near the halfway point for the story where things begin to move a little faster. There was a bit of a disagreement with one of my beta's about this chapter, so I release it with a bit of reservation.  
  
Even so, I'll dedicate this chapter to Liz, the first non beta to brave my temperament and tell me what she thought.  
  
********  
  
The slap echoed through the now quiet park. Most of the assembled Senshi stared at Mina in shock, though they agreed with her sentiments. Tenjin on the other hand appeared distraught.  
  
"I can't believe you've been lying to me from the beginning!" Mina continued her tirade.  
  
"I never lied to you." Tenjin replied hotly. "I may have led you to the wrong impression, but I have never, ever lied to you."  
  
"How about telling me your name was Tenjin, that was a lie."  
  
"Not exactly," Tenjin equivocated, "My name translates into Tenjin. I just didn't bother to mention I'd translated it."  
  
"Not that I don't find this amusing, but shouldn't we take this somewhere more private?" Konjou asked. When there was a general sound of agreement he snapped his fingers and teleported the entire gathering, including two cats that thought they had been very well hidden, to the front room of his and Tenjin's apartment.  
  
"There," he said, "you may now return to your regularly scheduled rant." Mina glared at Konjou before she continued. He was very happy he wasn't Tenjin right now. Mina looked ready to peel the skin off of him slowly. His happiness lasted only until he glanced at Makoto. The look in her eyes made Mina look cheerful. Both he and Ami were included in the glare. He swallowed nervously as her eyes narrowed further.  
  
"You used me." Mina accused. "You lied to me and used me to get information on us. Just how long have you known I was a Senshi? From the very beginning I bet."  
  
"Actually no. I've only known you were a Senshi since we first made love."  
  
"You've known for a month!" she screamed. "A month and you never told me!" The golden aura that had surrounded her near the end of the battle had returned.  
  
"You never told me you were a Senshi so I didn't feel it was any more dishonest than you were being."  
  
"I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. It wasn't just my secret. But you already knew, so why did you hide it from me that you knew who I was." Though her voice had calmed slightly, no one believed that she was any happier. "Were you hoping I would accidentally give something away who the others were, perhaps?"  
  
"There was no need for you to give them away. Once Neko and I knew who Venus and Jupiter were, figuring the rest out took less than two minutes. The only tough part was figuring who was who, oh and figuring out Setsuna was one of you."  
  
"You knew about all of us? And you still fought us? I can not believe you would do something like that. I thought you were nice, and kind and loving." She punctuated each adjective by drilling her finger into his chest. "I thought you were different from all the other boys, I was right. You are different, you're worse than they ever could be."  
  
"And just how am I worse!" Tenjin had finally given into the urge to yell back at her. "Who came on to whom? Who contrived to spend every night at her boyfriend's apartment? And who did his best not to hurt the woman he loved despite the fact she was trying to kill him!"  
  
Mori's temper storm lashed at the windows. Usagi was cowering into Mamoru's side from the thunder. The rest of the gathering seemed completely unconcerned, well the rest of them save Haruka. Haruka flinched at every flicker of lightning, and seemed to be trying to mimic Usagi's posture only using Michiru as the shield. It would have been funny had it not been so pathetic.  
  
"I wasn't trying to kill you!" Mina shouted. "I couldn't even hurt you. You smiled at me when I hit you."  
  
"You weren't trying to kill me?" Tenjin's voice had taken on a tone frustration, anger was buried under mountains of sarcasm. "If that wasn't trying I hope to Dallak you never give it effort."  
  
"You want to see me give it effort?" Mina yelled at the top of her lungs. "You want me to try?" With that, Mina hauled back and slapped him as hard as she could. Her arm blurred into invisibility to all but Ami and the Primarchs. It caught Mori across the face and knocked him to the floor. He landed hard on his injured arm and gave a shout of pain.  
  
"Tenjin!" Mina cried out in shock at his pain. She noticed again the bloody bandage on his arm, and realised the significance of its location. "Oh Kami, Tenjin I'm sorry." She wailed as she sat down and pulled him into her lap. She made sympathetic noises and cradled him to her as he slowly brought his pain under control.  
  
The golden aura around Mina flared brightly when she carefully touched Tenjin's arm. His aura flared in response, and quickly the two seemed to merge. It became obvious a few moments later that Mina's aura was being consumed by Tenjin's. The assembled people watched in fascination as the bandage covering the wounded arm disintegrated, revealing the bone deep wound. Amazingly the cut began to slowly close, causing the other Primarchs, except Hikage, to gape in wonder. When Mina's aura had been completely consumed Tenjin's arm hardly showed any sign of ever being injured, only a light scratch remained.  
  
"Mina that was amazing!" Tenjin said as he turned to take her into his arms. She smiled at him once before falling asleep with a look of happiness on her face. Tenjin picked her up and strode from the room, ignoring the protests from the majority of the Senshi.  
  
"What in the hell just happened?" Jander spoke for the first time.  
  
"I would also like to know." Lor agreed.  
  
"While everyone is asking questions, why is Sailor Pluto still asleep?" Endymion asked.  
  
"She healed him." Hikage supplied very drolly to Lor and Jander's question. "And to answer your question Mamoru, because the conditions of the spell have yet to be met."  
  
"What spell?" Usagi asked.  
  
"The Eternal Slumber spell Mori cast on her during the battle."  
  
"Eternal Slumber! You mean she's going to sleep forever?" Usagi asked horrified at the prospect.  
  
"No," Lor replied. "The name Eternal Slumber is somewhat misleading. The spell only makes the person sleep for a thousand years, or until a fairly bizarre condition is met. Knowing Mori I can make a couple of guesses what that condition would be."  
  
"A thousand years?" The girls replied in unison.  
  
"Well, a thousand years if the spell is allowed to run its course," he equivocated. "All we have to do is have Mori tell us the release condition and free her. It really should not be that difficult."  
  
"Back to the healing Mori." Jander interrupted. "Just how did she heal him? We've tried every method of healing allergen wounds imaginable, it doesn't work."  
  
"You were simply unable to imagine this method." Hikage commented with a sly smile.  
  
"You're not going to tell us are you?" Jander asked with a frustrated tone.  
  
"No, it's too easy for you to figure out through observation. What did you see?"  
  
"She had an aura like his, they sort of merged, and he was healed."  
  
"Incorrect, try to remember the flavour of her aura more clearly."  
  
"It wasn't similar to his aura, it was exactly like his aura." Konjou noted. "It was more like he had transferred some on his aura into her."  
  
"Exactly." Hikage agreed with a smile. "His own energy healed him, but that energy was stored elsewhere. Now all you have to do is determine how he was able to transfer his aura into her, and you'll have the answer to your question."  
  
Ami had listened to their discussion with her full attention, she was very intelligent, and had a strong personal interest in what was going on. Besides, it kept her mind off the fact that Makoto was glaring at her.  
  
"I think I know the answer." She ventured shyly.  
  
"You just might," Hikage said with a smile. "Feel free to share your opinion of the situation at any time."  
  
"Sex." She said only blushing slightly. "She started acting different right after she and Tenjin became intimate, and recently her powers have gotten much stronger. Only one other Senshi has demonstrated symptoms like that, and the common factor is intercourse with a Primarch." She was looking at the floor by the time she finished.  
  
She carefully raised her eyes to the gathering, and noted Hikage smiling happily at her deduction, of course Makoto's expression had grown even darker. Her eyes practically drilled holes through Ami. It was only a matter of time before she exploded, and Ami hoped that Konjou was still nearby when it happened, he deserved at least half the blame.  
  
"That's impossible, I can guarantee that having sex with someone doesn't transfer our power to them." Jander replied. "If that were true Mori, Neko and I would have made half the Ulterran female population glow in the dark." He looked directly at Ami and finished. "You don't seriously think that you were the first do you?"  
  
"No, but there is no other reasonable explanation. My powers have increased dramatically, though not as far as Mina's have. The only change that both of us have gone through is intercourse." She managed not to die from embarrassment, but only just.  
  
"Ami-chan!" Usagi said in shock. She couldn't believe the things Ami was saying. For as long as she had known her, Ami had been very shy of any topics involving romance, and now she was speaking almost casually about having had sex. The entire idea was more than Usagi could believe.  
  
The other girls except Makoto looked on in a sort of shock. The had seen too much today for anything as minor as learning Ami had lost her virginity to make any impression. Makoto was just angry.  
  
"For once Jander, I'm going to side with a mortal against you. She's correct. Now as soon as you learn why Mina was able to store Mori's energy you will have the answers to questions you never knew you had."  
  
Tenjin walked back into the room without Mina. He intercepted the angry questioning glares with total indifference. In an act of bravery that only the other Primarchs recognized Tenjin grabbed Hikage and pressed him against the wall.  
  
"I'm only going to ask once, and it's not even going to be politely. Is she going to be ok?" When Hikage smiled in a friendly manner and nodded affirmatively Tenjin set him back down and nodded to him in apology.  
  
"If the macho posturing is over, can one of you tell us how to wake up Pluto?" Michiru's voice cut through the group like a knife. Tenjin smiled innocently at her as her responded.  
  
"The father of her baby has to kiss her." He said simply  
  
"Would you please say that again?" Michiru asked very carefully.  
  
"The man who got her pregnant has to kiss her." He repeated.  
  
"That's what I thought you said," Michiru replied as she fainted.  
  
"Not to be picky Mori, but what was the exact wording you used?" Lor asked.  
  
"Umm, it was 'You will sleep until the father of your child awakens you with a kiss.' I was a little rushed for time, and you know I didn't bother to say the whole thing out loud, but that's the spell condition. Why?"  
  
"Oh this is going to be fun." Lor said and magically conjured himself a chair.  
  
The remaining Senshi stood with mouths agape staring at Setsuna. This addition to the long list of astonishments had completely shaken them to the core. After several minutes of staring at the sleeping Sailor Pluto Ami realized that she, among all of her friends, was the only person that could solve the mystery of the father of Setsuna's baby.  
  
The Senshi gathered around as she activated her visor and brought her scanners to full power. Several minutes passed before Ami spoke. "It's no good. Her transformation and Glamour are interfering with my computer. I just can't get a clear scan."  
  
Hotaru sighed and shook her head. As intelligent as Ami was, she sometimes missed the obvious. Hotaru quickly took Setsuna's transformation rod away, and Setsuna reverted to normal. Ami blushed at her forgetfulness and resumed her scan. A few minutes later she nearly dropped her computer in horror at the results.  
  
"That's impossible!" Ami screamed. Konjou looked concerned, but she pushed him away when he began to rub her shoulders. Ami looked up at Usagi with fear and trepidation. "Usagi-chan, remember it's bad to kill the messenger, ok?" When Usagi nodded Ami gulped and continued. "I found out who the father is. It was actually fairly simple, but I ran the tests ten times to make sure. It's. well it's Mamoru."  
  
Mamoru began to sputter and shake his head back and forth frantically. Everyone turned their heads to pin their most hateful glares on him. His sputters took on a note of desperation. Finally he collected himself enough to point at Ami and scream his denials.  
  
"She lying Usako, you know I'd never cheat on you!" He began to plead with his fiancée. Her expression didn't lighten in the slightest. Mamoru grabbed Ami by the front of her shirt and began to shake her. "Tell them you were only kidding Ami! Tell them!" he screamed in terror. The glares he was getting from the Senshi, both inner and outer, promised him a slow painful death.  
  
Konjou grabbed Mamoru's wrist and squeezed it painfully, making him release his hold on Ami. He continued to denounce Ami's conclusions and pleaded with her to tell the Senshi she had been joking.  
  
"Mamoru, I refuse to lie to save you from your own indiscretions. My scans indicate that you are the father. The evidence is indisputable."  
  
"No no, she's lying Usako! I would never betray you." He begged Usagi to believe him.  
  
"You mean like you did when you broke up with her right after Chibi- Usa showed up." Rei said coldly.  
  
"Or when Nehelenia brainwashed you it took us a week to realise you were acting any worse than usual." Ami added.  
  
"And we can't forget your decision to leave your fiancée and your responsibility to protect her to spend a year in America. If Galaxia hadn't interfered you'd still be gone." Haruka finished.  
  
Mamoru was beset on all sides by hostile Senshi. He knew he hadn't slept with Setsuna, but both Ami's computer and his past actions, were working against him. Usagi had yet to say anything, but her eyes were filled with pain. She trusted both he and Ami equally, so though she would give him the benefit of the doubt, he knew she believed him guilty.  
  
"You know there is a way to prove this once and for all." Tenjin said at length. Mamoru looked at him with hope in his eyes. If Tenjin had some way for him to refute the evidence of the Mercury computer, then Mamoru would cheerfully accept his assistance. "The answer is simple, I told you only the father of her child can wake her, all you have to do is have Mamoru kiss Setsuna. Whether or not she wakes up will give you your answer.  
  
The Senshi looked at one another and slowly began to nod. The Primarchs, despite their actions against the majority of humanity, were honest. Though they had misled the Senshi, they had never lied. If Tenjin said only the father could awaken Setsuna then having Mamoru kiss her would definitely provide the answer.  
  
Usagi stared at Mamoru silently. She didn't want Mamoru kissing anyone but her, but if this would prove him innocent he needed to do it. The other Senshi would never believe him over Ami, and truthfully she was torn. Ami would never lie to her, but she didn't believe Mamoru would either. She thought of one other point in favour of him kissing Setsuna. If he truly was the father then they needed him to do it. They couldn't risk having Setsuna out of action for a thousand years.  
  
"Please Mamo-chan," she said, knowing this to be one of the hardest things she had ever done. "Ki.kiss her."  
  
Mamoru stared at Usagi in surprise. He hadn't expected her to ask him to do it. He knew that this was his only hope, but he couldn't suppress a feeling of dread when he leaned over and lightly brushed Setsuna's lips with his.  
  
Mamoru stepped away from Setsuna and looked at the Senshi angrily. He knew that he wasn't guilty, but their lack of faith in him had hurt. Especially since it had caused Usagi pain, from the doubt it raised in her and from having him kiss Setsuna. Usagi gasped as he stepped closer to her. She stared past him to some point behind his back. Tears sprang into her eyes and she quickly ran out of the apartment. Rei hesitated less than a second and followed Usagi out the door, but not before glaring at Mamoru with unmistakeable hatred.  
  
Mamoru turned in confusion and nearly fainted. Setsuna now sat up, eyes heavy but open her fingers lightly tracing her lips where he had so recently brushed his own against. He hardly had time to shake his head in disbelief before Haruka drove her fist into his stomach hard enough to bring him to his knees.  
  
"I knew you were a worthless bastard Mamoru, but even I didn't think you would have hurt Usagi-chan like this. I hope you're proud of yourself." Haruka snarled at him. She barely refrained from doing him any more bodily harm.  
  
Michiru and Hotaru helped Setsuna to her feet. Michiru's eyes never left Mamoru however. Her glare carried almost as much violence as Haruka's fist. Hotaru refused to even glance in his direction, she instead concentrated solely on helping the still groggy Time Senshi.  
  
"Do you want assistance back to your home Hotaru-chan?" Hikage asked her gently.  
  
"Hai Hikage," she said softly.  
  
"Ok," he replied in the same tone. "Gather closer please Michiru- san, it's considerably more difficult for me to do something like this than it is for Neko," he said with a wry grin. Once the four girls were close enough all five of them disappeared.  
  
Mamoru looked around, and took stock of the situation, of the Senshi, only Ami and Makoto remained, and neither seemed very happy with him. Only Hikage was missing from the Primarchs, but that hardly made him feel any more comfortable. Konjou's expression seemed divided between worry, when he looked at Makoto, and disgust, when he looked at him. Tenjin kept glancing back towards where he had taken Mina. It wouldn't be long before he went to check on her. Jander seemed bored, he had little to do with events on earth, and it showed. Lor on the other hand watched him with an amused look. There was some meaning to it he was sure, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what Lor found so funny about the complete ruination of his life.  
  
"I'm going to find Usagi and try to figure out what happened." Mamoru said as he headed towards the door.  
  
"Try not to get anyone else pregnant on the way Mamoru." Makoto said coldly. Mamoru didn't even acknowledge her remark on his way out.  
  
Lor and Jander both soon made their excuses and teleported to places unknown. Ami did her best not to think too much about those two. Jander was a total unknown, and Lor had been disguised as her P.E. sensei. The thought of how many times he had seen her and the other Senshi naked in the last seven weeks made her ill. She wondered why Konjou, and even more strangely Tenjin, had allowed it. She would have thought they would have put a stop to his peeping on their girlfriends.  
  
She smiled at Tenjin as he excused himself to check on Mina. She knew that Mina was angry, but those two obviously loved each other, things would work themselves out ok. Her own situation was far more uncertain. Now that everyone else was gone, it would not be long before Makoto had her say.  
  
"So Ami," Makoto began. Her voice carried an obviously fake cheeriness. "Just when were you planning on telling me that you were screwing my boyfriend?" Oh yes, she was definitely not happy.  
  
"Makoto-chan." Konjou began, but she cut him off with a withering glare.  
  
"I'll get around to you in a minute Konjou-chan." She said harshly. "Well Ami? Does it make you proud? Does using sex to destroy the one beautiful thing I had in my life make you feel more like a woman?" Her words were sharp as razors, cutting deep into Ami's heart.  
  
"Mako-chan," Ami began, "I didn't set out to hurt you." She started to explain.  
  
"You didn't? You did a damn good job of it."  
  
"I was just trying to prove he was Neko." She whispered.  
  
"By fucking him?" Makoto retorted. "My that's a unique way to deal with your enemies. Maybe we should have tried that with Beryl's generals. I bet you would have liked that too. Were you hoping to wear him out so much he couldn't fight, or maybe you just wanted to have sex with someone besides your imagination."  
  
Ami clenched her hands at her sides. She knew that Makoto didn't mean what she was saying. She was hurt and lashing out at the person she believed was responsible. It took considerable effort not to respond.  
  
"Did you enjoy flaunting yourself Ami? Or did you blackmail him into sleeping with you." That was it, Ami thought.  
  
"No, Makoto I didn't. In fact I didn't have to do much at all. You see before you threw yourself at him he was interested in me. When you left him because of your own fear, I did my best to help you out. While you sat in your room and cried, I went over to his apartment to learn the truth, and to get back at him for you. While you moped I was doing my job as a Senshi, learning everything I could about our potential enemy. Yes my methods were wrong, yes I fell in love with him, but originally I did it for you."  
  
"You seduced my boyfriend, and you did it for me? Wow Ami-chan, who's next on the list, Mamoru. No wait Setsuna already did that for you. Maybe you can get Tenjin while Mina is still asleep. You know just to make sure he's Mordaki."  
  
"That's enough Mako-chan." Konjou interrupted. "I think you need to calm down."  
  
"Really, I was just getting to you. Were you so hard up for a woman that you'd settle for her?" Makoto said snidely. "I know how ready you were but couldn't you have waited for me for more than a week? Did you ever care about me, or was I just the first girl that walked by after your little nap."  
  
"I cared about you Mako-chan." He began  
  
"Obviously not enough to turn down sweet innocent little Ami-chan. Do you have a thing for bookworms, or was she just too easy to pass up?"  
  
Ami had taken enough abuse. She grabbed Konjou and spun him around, once he was facing her she drew him into a deep kiss. Quickly he forgot all about the audience and began to respond. His hands wandered out of polite territory and into regions that they really had no business being in with people watching.  
  
"You're just jealous Makoto, jealous that this 'bookworm' can do something you never could. Have Konjou fall in love with her" she said as she stopped kissing Konjou. "Enjoy watching, because that's all you'll ever do."  
  
Makoto screamed in outrage. Seeing Ami kissing her boyfriend made her blood boil. She ignored the little voice in her head that reminded her that she had broken up with Konjou. She charged over shouldering the still dazed Konjou out of her way and slapped Ami across the face. Ami hardly even moved, she on the other hand was in agony. Her hand felt like it was broken. She couldn't even make Ami suffer for hurting her. She slumped to the ground at this final insult, the tears ran freely down her cheeks.  
  
Konjou shook his head at the display. He liked having girls fighting over him as much as any guy, but injuries during it were a big no no. He bent down and lifted Makoto into his arms. She struggled for a second before pacifying. He gave Ami a rueful glance, mouthed he would be right back, and teleported to Makoto's apartment.  
  
It was the first time he had ever been here, so he took a moment to look the place over. It was small but cosy. As he expected knowing Makoto it was very clean, yet still had a feeling of being lived in. The effect was quite pleasing. He could easily see himself curling up on her couch and napping in the sunlight. He shook himself from his musings and continued his task.  
  
Her scent permeated the place but its greatest concentrations had been the bedroom and the kitchen. It made locating the room easy. Konjou carried Makoto through the apartment and into her bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed and held her as she vented her tears. After a long while she spoke.  
  
"Why Konjou? Why couldn't you wait for me?"  
  
"It wasn't a matter of waiting Mako-chan. I could feel your fear. I knew it was me you were afraid of. You must have subconsciously remembered seeing something that night that frightened you."  
  
"Your eyes. I saw your real eyes at the end, and you did something to me didn't you?"  
  
"I made you sleep with a spell. I thought you might have seen me lose control then, and I didn't want to risk you getting afraid. I guess I failed."  
  
"Did you know I was Sailor Jupiter before I came into your room?"  
  
"No, I knew you were probably a Senshi, but not for certain, and not which one. Mori told me about it when he came in to get a drink."  
  
"Oh Kami, you were speaking Aleph. Why didn't I ever notice, why didn't Mina?"  
  
"The Glamour, it kept anyone from noticing anything that would give us away. Even if you did notice it kept you from making the correct connection. Ami escaped its force because of her computer, but it still messed with her head."  
  
"Don't talk about her, don't even mention her name to me."  
  
"Mako-chan."  
  
"No, I understand you, a little. I broke up with you and you didn't know for sure if I would come back, but she knew I still loved you. She betrayed me in a way I doubt I'll ever forgive."  
  
"She did it to help you Mako-chan. You wouldn't believe how much she cares about you and the rest of the Senshi. She sacrificed her self respect, her innocence, and her morality for you."  
  
"She didn't do anything for me, she did it for herself."  
  
"Mako-chan, you have no idea how scared she was. She was terrified when she started. She knew I was her enemy, and was afraid I might figure out who she was, but even with all that she did everything in her power to get proof of my identity."  
  
"I'm positive I don't want to know any more details."  
  
"Mako-chan, originally she had only you and the other Senshi in mind. It was only later that her heart became involved. Is falling in love with someone a betrayal of your friend? When your friend claims to have broken off the relationship? Try to see it from her perspective. I know she's looked at it from yours."  
  
Makoto was near tears again. She didn't want to talk about Ami. She didn't want to think about Ami. All she wanted was Konjou back. When she broke up with him she hadn't wanted to lose him, especially to one of her friends. How had Ami ever managed to keep him?  
  
When the answer occurred to her she knew what to do. The battle for Konjou was about to heat up. Ami had used her body to steal him. The same tactic would work for her.  
  
She wasn't conceited when she thought about how much better she looked than Ami. Ami was undeniably beautiful, but Ami had nothing compared to her. Makoto was very proud of her body. She worked very hard to keep in shape. Better still, she knew Konjou found her attractive. It was time to use that to her advantage.  
  
Makoto turned over and pulled him tight to her. She allowed her body to rub fully against him as she leaned up to capture his lips. The kiss was gentle and could have been mistaken for something less serious, if she hadn't deepened it when he tried to speak. Her breasts pressed full against him eliciting the expected response. She knew she could tempt him back, this proved it.  
  
She slid her hands under his shirt and began to drag her nails across his back. Anyone else would have been in pain, but Makoto knew he enjoyed the feeling. She grinned wickedly when he began to purr from her caresses. She brought her lips to his neck and scraped lightly with her teeth. She was rewarded with his hands pulling her tighter against him.  
  
She knew there had to be a way to get out of her Senshi fuku. There were no closures, no zips, no snaps, and no ties. It had to be magical. Knowing that she concentrated hard on removing it, she was elated when she succeeded. She was gloriously naked in his arms, and he had yet to realize it. His hands continued their caressing hold on her, but where they were on her fuku and skirt, they now caressed her back and butt. She moaned softly at the contact.  
  
He shifted his hands to her front and began to firmly kneed her breasts, it was then he realized what he was doing, and with whom. Konjou shook his head to try to throw off the desire that burned within him. Makoto's full bodied press against him, and the magic she was working on him with lips and hands made it just next to impossible. He nearly lost the battle outright when she moved her hand down to cup him through his pants.  
  
She could feel him beginning to resist her. She didn't know what she was doing wrong, but obviously it wasn't enough to completely get his attention. She began to stroke up and down on the hardness she could feel in his pants. His purring deepened, and he once again began to return her caresses. She unfastened his pants and quickly drew them down taking his underwear with them. She took his now freed manhood into her hand and began to slowly stroke him.  
  
It was the flesh to flesh contact that woke him completely from the seductive pull of her caresses. He quickly pushed her away and gaped at her in astonishment. This was the girl that had refused him several times, it took him several long seconds of holding her away to realize why she would change her mind now. With a thought his clothing once again covered him. He stood from the bed and stepped away from Makoto, his eyes never leaving hers the entire time.  
  
"Mako-chan, this isn't what you really want."  
  
"Yes it is. I want you. I can't lose you Konjou. I just can't."  
  
"There's nothing to lose Mako-chan. We had our chance, but for now it's over. We both know you can turn me on, Mako-chan, but if we went through with what you just tried to start, all that would happen is we would end up hurting all of us. Because you see, right after I got out of bed with you, I would have teleported back to my apartment, where Ami is waiting for me, and I would have told her how badly I messed up. I love you Mako-chan, and I'm very attracted to you, both physically and mentally, but I love Ami more."  
  
Konjou leaned over and kissed Makoto on the forehead, then teleported away. Makoto sat in the middle of her bed, naked and alone, wondering if anyone would ever love her that much.  
  
******** Ami paced another lap across the floor of the front room. She knew very well it didn't take this long to teleport Makoto home and come back. She could have run to Makoto's house and back by now. Obviously something had gone wrong. She tried not to dwell on the fact that he had been Makoto's boyfriend first. She knew he loved her, but she didn't know what he felt about Makoto. The wait was killing her.  
  
Konjou was tackled before he fully materialized from the teleport. Fifty kilos of gorgeous young woman moving just slightly slower than a bullet tended to do that. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu, but couldn't quite place it. Ami straddled his hips and began alternating kisses with questions.  
  
"What took you so long? Is Makoto ok? Are you ok? Why do you smell like Makoto's perfume?" Of course it was that question that stopped the kisses, as Ami considered the implications of her own observation. It took less than a second for her to verify that yes he did in fact smell strongly of Makoto's perfume.  
  
"Konjou-chan," she said too calmly, "I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and allow you to explain, but I should warn you that if I don't like the answer you'll be in a great deal of pain very soon."  
  
Konjou could have pretended ignorance, but he knew she was serious about the pain threat. He quickly told her of the events that had transpired. Her expression became dark as he described Makoto's actions and his own lack of control, but lightened to one of love when he explained his eventual fighting off of his desire.  
  
"Ok, you did good, despite coming very close to me having to kill you. There is one thing I would like to know though. If you're the Primarch of Will, why did you have so much trouble getting your body back under control?"  
  
"I may be the Primarch of Will Sprite, but I'm also male, and no heterosexual man could fight a woman like Makoto off easily. She's kind, intelligent, and very beautiful. I consider myself lucky to have gotten away without anything else happening." He smiled at her despite the frown she again wore. "Think of it like this Sprite. Both of you, in fact all of the Senshi are beautiful beyond reason, but I came back here to you. That should tell you where my heart lies."  
  
******** She opened her eyes in confusion. Though she recognised the room she was in easily enough, for the life of her Mina couldn't remember how she got in Tenjin's bedroom. The last thing she remembered was holding Tenjin in her arms after she knocked him down. His arm had been badly hurt and she had touched it. Now she was lying in his bed. That wouldn't have been all that odd if she hadn't had her clothing on.  
  
She carefully sat up, and looked around. Tenjin, correction Mori stood on the other side of the room glowing like a small star. He didn't seem to have noticed that she was awake. She watched him as he moved in some intricate dance like steps. His movements were slow, but the light from his aura trailed behind him like smoke. It formed a strange pattern in the air, seeming at once beautiful and dangerous.  
  
She had difficulty connecting the man she looked at with her lover. There were certain similarities, but her memories of his Mori appearance were filled with rage and pain, while her memories of Tenjin were of love, pleasure and happiness. The duality of her emotions involving him gave her a bit of a headache.  
  
He stopped moving, and she noticed for the first time that his eyes were closed. His aura lessened in intensity, and she could now see his injured arm more clearly. The wound was almost completely healed. She nearly growled at the unfairness. She had wounded him badly with the Moon Sword, yet here it was less than a half of a day later and he looked nearly healed.  
  
She thought for a moment about the wound she had caused him with the sword. Everything else they had ever tried against him had met with minimal success, but the Moon Sword had carved through his phenomenal defences like they weren't even there. His aura had died on contact with the blade. Despite common opinion Mina wasn't stupid.  
  
During the time of the Moon Kingdom no one had known what the Moon Sword was made out of. Its blade was some silver like metal that cut easily through the strongest steel. It was laden with bizarre symbols, that Mina would be willing to bet were actually Aleph runes. All the evidence pointed to the Moon Sword being a weapon from the time of the Ulterran, and if that were true it probably at one time belonged to Lunari.  
  
Lunari was the adopted daughter of Niccolai, one of the Primarchs. The only people that would definitely know Mori's allergen were the other Primarchs. Neko would have wanted Lunari to be able to defend herself against anyone that might have tried to hurt her. The best way for her to defend herself against Mori would have been with a weapon made of his allergen. That made understanding how she had hurt him so severely easy. The Moon Sword was made out of whatever Mori was allergic to.  
  
"~hey beautiful~" Mori's voice spoke inside her head.  
  
"Wha.." she responded before he cut her off.  
  
"~Not out loud, you'll disturb the matrix, and trust me that would be a Bad Thing. Just think what you want to say, I'll hear it.~" She could feel his smile inside her.  
  
"~LIKE THIS?~" She ventured.  
  
"~Yikes, There's no need to shout. Think calmly or you'll give me a headache.~"  
  
"~Is this better?~" She tried.  
  
"~Much, did you have a nice nap?~"  
  
"~I think so. What happened, the last thing I remember I was trying to apologize for hurting your arm again.~"  
  
"~You did something wonderful. You healed me.~"  
  
"~I did?~"  
  
"~Yes. You know, until today I thought allergen wounds couldn't be healed. What you did was a miracle.~"  
  
"~How did I heal you?~"  
  
"~You blush if I tell you.~" He thought to her smugly.  
  
"~Tenjin.~" She thought irritatedly at him.  
  
"~Ok, but remember you made me tell you. You touched me, and almost all of the power I'd given you came back and healed me.~"  
  
"~Just how was that supposed to make me blush? And just when did you give me any power?~"  
  
"~You see, lucky for you I can answer both of those with one word, sex. According to Mordred every time we've made love I've been giving you some of my energy.~"  
  
"~How?~"  
  
"~Think about it koishii. My body is something like ninety five percent magical energy, every time we made love it was like giving you an injection of my energy.~" Mina looked like she would burst something if she became any more embarrassed. "According to what Mordred told me, you and Ami have been experiencing major upswings of power lately. That's why.~"  
  
"~YOU SLEPT WITH AMI!~" She shouted mentally at him. "~I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!~"  
  
"~Calm down koishii. I didn't sleep with Ami, Neko did. Before you ask, it started last week, and she's known who we were ever since Neko beat the hell out of the guys who tried to rape Hotaru.~"  
  
"~Why didn't she tell me?~" Mina thought. Her mental voice sounded hurt and angry.  
  
"~You wouldn't have believed her. We have a very powerful Glamour up. If I hadn't changed forms in front of you, no amount of evidence would have been able to convince you of who I was.~"  
  
"~Oh.~" she though ashamedly, "~I guess that's a good reason.~"  
  
An inscrutable look passed over her face and she quickly lay back down. Her face felt hot to her, yet her feet and hands were freezing. A wave of nausea passed over making her feel very weak.  
  
'~Tenjin~" she thought weakly.  
  
Mori was at her side before the thought was even finished. He put his and on her head, and she could feel tendrils of magical energy weaving their way through her. After a moment he sighed and put his hand on her cheek. She shivered looking at him. She was used to seeing that expression of love on Tenjin's face, not Mori's.  
  
"~Well, I have both good and bad news for you.~" he thought to her. "~The bad news is you're going through a really bad case of energy crash. Picture the energy you've been absorbing from me like a drug. You're body has become adapted to it, and since you gave it all away, you're going through something like withdrawal. The good news is I have the perfect cure for your symptoms.~"  
  
"~What's that?~"  
  
He responded by drawing her into a kiss. When he paused for breath he lightly traced his fingers over her face. She was ready, obviously so, but her expression was torn between fear and desire. He knew the reason. All of her memories of his 'Mori' appearance were ones of fear and dread. She loved Tenjin, not Mori.  
  
"~Mina-chan~"  
  
"~Yes Tenjin?~  
  
"~I'm going to do something that's very important to me, and will help you get used to this form.~"  
  
"~What?~"  
  
"~I'm going to give you some better memories of my 'normal' appearance.~" He thought as he began to undress her. He was glad she had lost her Senshi transformation after passing out. He had no idea how to get those sexy little fukus off, and given his lack of patience his answer would have likely been to disintegrate the thing.  
  
He didn't tell her one important piece of information Mordred had passed on to him. His energy was quite like a drug to her, that much was true. But now that her body was acclimated to it, she had stopped producing her own life energy. He did his best not to dwell on what would happen if they were separated for very long. Without regular infusions of energy from him she would quickly die. He only hoped that this cessation of energy production was a prelude to her changing to energy similar to his. If not she would likely be dependent on him for the rest of her life.  
  
******** "I still say this is the worst idea you've ever had. I can think of a hundred ways this could go wrong." A male voice complained.  
  
"Oh do be quiet." His female companion replied. "We have to save her."  
  
"From what? She doesn't look like she wants rescuing to me."  
  
"That's the point. He must be using some sort of mind control on her."  
  
"The only control he looks like he has is something she freely gave him, love."  
  
"He's the enemy, she's far too intelligent to become involved with him of her own free will, now be quiet so we can sneak up on him."  
  
Two shadows detached themselves from behind the chair. They cautiously approached the couple currently occupying the couch. They skirted around the discarded clothing and stalked through the near darkness and approached their target, who was quite distracted trying to talk his lover into powering down.  
  
"Sprite, you know that anklet will protect you, why won't you be you?"  
  
"Because you're not you," She said simply. Konjou instantly shifted back into his Neko appearance and resumed his seduction attempts.  
  
"Better Sprite?" He asked seductively.  
  
"Hai." She said breathlessly and changed back into her unpowered form.  
  
Things were getting interesting. He was playing a game trying to remove all of her clothing one handed, without breaking the kiss. He was doing quite well until two small hostile cats attacked his face and chest. Ami shrieked at the sudden interruption, and at the fact that she was mostly nude when the attack occurred. Neko on the other hand was just angry. The cats' claws didn't truly hurt. They couldn't penetrate his skin. The effect it had on his lover's mood was another story.  
  
"You two better have a very good explanation." He said warningly lifting the cats by the backs of their necks.  
  
"Release Ami-chan now." Luna commanded with stern authority despite the position she was in. Her white furred companion covered his face with his paws and almost wept.  
  
"As you can see little kitty, I don't have her in my hands just now, thank you very little." His voice was anything but friendly.  
  
"Release her from the spell you have her under!" Luna yelled in frustration at his comment.  
  
"Sprite, do I have you under any spells?" He asked mildly.  
  
"Well, sort of. If you consider love to be magical." Ami said as she tried her best to retain modesty with the little clothing she had on.  
  
"You're not helping." Neko told her dryly as Luna redoubled her efforts to get free and claw him at Ami's words.  
  
"Gomen, No Luna, I'm not under any spell. In fact, I'd say if anything I enchanted him."  
  
"You got that right Sprite."  
  
"Release us this instant!" Luna shouted when all of her attempts to free herself met with failure.  
  
"I'll get around to you kitty. Now you," he said looking at Artemis, "just what's your excuse?"  
  
"I'm just following orders?" Artemis asked hopefully.  
  
"Sorry cat, you have a brain and free will, I don't believe in just following orders."  
  
He hissed as Luna managed to turn in his grip and sink her teeth into his hand. Before either cat could react to the sudden change in grip Neko shape shifted into an enormous black cat. He was very close to the size of a panther, yet still maintained the basic proportions of a domestic cat. He causally pinned the two struggling felines under his massive paws.  
  
"Now, you want to try that again kitty cat?" He asked Luna. His grin was all teeth.  
  
"Neko, don't eat Luna. She's Usagi's advisor. Without her Usagi would never make it to school." Ami said.  
  
"I'll take it under advisement. Now kitty, just what in the hell were you trying to accomplish, besides interrupting my sex life that is."  
  
"That's exactly what we were doing." Luna said primly. "I will not allow you to defile Ami-chan. You may have defeated the Senshi, but we will not allow you to use their defeat to satisfy your baser. what are you laughing about?" Luna was truly angry by this point.  
  
"Kitty, if anyone is getting used here it's me. Your sweet little Ami-chan is the one that started this. I really don't think you want the details though."  
  
Artemis looked like he was about to object to the lack of details when he noticed the colour of Neko's eyes. He stopped his struggles and began to carefully look over Neko's cat form. He felt like crying when he noticed the slightly silver sheen to Neko's fur. He whimpered as he took note of his housecat build and panther size. He gibbered and did a fairly good impression of the American puppet character Beaker from the Muppets when he fully opened his senses up to the feeling of Neko's aura.  
  
Artemis tried his best to get Luna's attention to warn her of his observations, but it was to no avail. Between her dismay at Ami's actions, her anger at the man that obviously had Ami under his control, and Artemis's inability to articulate with anything other than 'meeps' Luna failed to receive anything resembling a proper warning against making Neko any more angry.  
  
"Let me up this instant you cretin!" Luna yelled at Neko. When he failed to release her she scratched vainly at the polished wooden floor, trying to gain enough leverage to force him to comply, or at lease get a nip in. When all other options had been exhausted she tried something she had never used on any one other than a Senshi, a mind melding. Her intentions were to confuse him by flooding his mind with images. She failed badly.  
  
As soon as Neko felt her attempt to intrude into his mind, he reacted. He casually batted the distracted cat across the room like a tennis ball. She rolled across the hardwood floor without slowing until she impacted the side of a chair.  
  
"Ite." Luna moaned from where she landed  
  
"Was that really necessary Neko?" Ami asked.  
  
"Probably not, but she really should have asked before trying to link with my mind. It's considered quite rude among psychics to do what she did."  
  
Artemis had used the distraction to carefully wiggle free and go over to Luna. He seemed able to articulate his news now, and had no intention of allowing Luna's temper and pessimism to lead her into further stupidity.  
  
"Luna.Luna, can you hear me."  
  
"Ite."  
  
"I'll take that as a yes. Look at him Luna. Look at him and remember our history lessons as kittens. Forget about the Senshi for a second and really look at him."  
  
"Oh Kami-sama, he looks exactly like."  
  
"Yep, he looks like the archetype of the Guardian form our elders took to defend our people, but feel his aura, it's the same, only a thousand times greater. It gets worse Luna. Remember his name?"  
  
"Niccolai?"  
  
"That's part of it, Niccolai Bastian Re. Bastian, Bast, I think this is the being our ancestors worshiped as a god Luna. Could you have possibly picked a worse person to annoy?" he asked scathingly.  
  
"Actually yes she could have." Neko interrupted. They jumped at the sound of his voice. They had never heard him move over next to them. "She could have irritated Mori, or Enkil forbid, Mordred. If you think I have a bad temper neither of those two have any concept of the word restraint. And about the worship, I told your ancestors countless times I neither need nor want it."  
  
"Meep." Was all Artemis could say.  
  
"I am sorry Neko-sama for bothering you." Luna said. "If I would have had any idea of who you were."  
  
"It is forgiven. I could hardly expect your people to have done any better a job of remembering me than the Humans did remembering Mori. Where are your elders?"  
  
"Dead Neko-sama, they were destroyed over ten thousand years ago when an invader tried to steal the gift you gave our people." Artemis answered.  
  
"Let me make sure I got that correct. Ten thousand some odd years ago your world was invaded?" the cats nodded. "How do you know this?"  
  
"We were there Neko-sama. We were kittens at the time. We've spent a very long time in suspended animation after the fall of the Moon Kingdom. Serenity-sama felt her daughter may need our services when she awoke." Luna quickly said before Artemis could reply.  
  
"Ok, how did the invader destroy your elders? They had access to some of my power."  
  
"He summoned a force of Yugoloth. They slaughtered the Guardians."  
  
Luna and Artemis cringed back in terror at the full throated roar Neko let out upon hearing that. His silver aura burst into brilliant radiance. For several long seconds he stood there, until Ami began petting his back. The aura faded quickly, but both of the Mau could see unshed tears in Neko's eyes.  
  
"I apologize for your loss, kittens. It seems the gift I gave your people wasn't enough."  
  
"It's not your fault Neko-sama." Luna began.  
  
"That's where you're wrong kitty. Your ancestors were guarding something very important for me, me. When I went to sleep I transferred myself into your people. My power was spread throughout your people, but I obviously didn't teach them well enough to use it. I was the only thing I gave your people, it wasn't a gift kitty, it was a responsibility. If they were killed for that, then I am responsible for their destruction, however indirectly. Know this though kittens, the Yugoloth will pay for their actions."  
  
A thrill filled the Mau at Neko's words. They readily remembered the near total destruction of their kind. They remembered the horror of the Yugoloth. And they remembered that Mina killed one of the seemingly indestructible monsters recently. Neko was far more powerful than Mina. It would be a slaughter, and they would be there to celebrate.  
  
"Thank you Neko-sama." Luna said with tears in her eyes at the thought of vengeance for her people. "If we may be excused it seems that we are no longer needed here, and Usagi most probably does need our support."  
  
"Go ahead kittens. Would you like me to teleport you to her?" He asked as he resumed his human form.  
  
"Oh please Neko-sama. We would be very grateful." Artemis nodded in total agreement. Finding Usagi would be simple enough, but it was a very long way to her house from here. With no fanfare at all Neko sent the cats to their princess.  
  
"I hope you don't expect me to start calling you Neko-sama." Ami said with a smile once the cats were gone.  
  
"No, I'll settle for Neko-chan. Now where were we."  
  
******** Haruka watched Hikage as he sat next to Hotaru. It was difficult to reconcile him with the being capable of giving orders to Mori and Neko. Currently he was just holding Hotaru's hand and staring dreamily into her eyes. It was very disturbing.  
  
"I must thank you for the offer of dinner Michiru-san." He said giving a formal seated bow. "You cooking is far superior to my efforts. You would think that with a few billion years of practice I would do better at it, but I actually eat so infrequently that it never became an issue."  
  
"You're quite welcome, Hikage." Michiru said with a smile.  
  
It seemed to Haruka that she was the only person that felt odd about having one of the enemy at the dinner table. Even Setsuna smiled and talked with him like an old acquaintance. In fact Setsuna seemed happy to have him here. It was creepy to see her smile like that.  
  
Dinner soon ended and the group moved into the living room to talk. After a while the conversation turned to something Haruka would have much rather avoided, today's battle.  
  
"You actually did much better against them than you had any right to do." Hikage said. "Of course they weren't allowed to use their true power, but even so you did very well. The wound you gave Mori was a nice surprise, Haruka. Honestly I hadn't foreseen you touching him."  
  
"Thanks." She said dryly.  
  
"Hikage, right after the battle you said we did not exactly lose. Would you please explain?" Michiru questioned.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. The excitement from Mina's healing of Mori and of Setsuna's condition sidetracked me, I apologize. What I meant was that though you lost the match, you did well enough to win some concessions. Of course they would have to be mutually agreeable to Mori and Usagi, as they are the principal parties involved in the dispute, but I can guarantee that one of them will likely be that no humans will be killed in the cleanup efforts, unless the human in question does something that leads to their own death that is."  
  
"I can easily see Usagi demanding that." Setsuna replied. Everyone nodded in agreement.  
  
The conversation quickly turned to the events of the past. Hikage entertained them all with tales of events before the moon kingdom. They were surprised to learn that Lunari was a foundling. Neko had adopted her the moment he saw the infant being sold in a slave market. It put a new perspective on the grand ladies of the Lunar royal family. A little later on Setsuna began asking about the Primarchs themselves. Hikage laughed at the first question.  
  
"Do you believe that Mina is safe with Mori, Hikage? He seems a bit unstable to me."  
  
"She's perfectly safe. In fact if anyone were to try to hurt her you'd all learn why he's considered the second most dangerous Primarch." He explained. "You see, we are all marked by our duties. Setsuna and Hotaru are prime examples among your group of this same phenomenon. Lor is the Primarch of Time, or Creation. His duties within the universe were to begin the motion that set everything else up. Now that he has completed that task, the only thing he has to do is monitor the time stream for disturbances. Paradox if left unchecked could unravel all he has done, so he tends to stamp them out." Setsuna shivered at the description. She knew she had created several paradoxes, what did Lor have to say about that?  
  
"Because Lor has so little to do in his opinion, he tends to fill his time with practical jokes. Take his being your P.E. Sensei for an example. He isn't doing it to peep as much as he's doing it to see how you react. He probably spends quite a bit of time imagining what would happen if he took his real form with one of his classes watching, preferably while they were in the locker room. It would be total chaos."  
  
"Next up would be Mori, but we'll hold off on him and Neko for a bit. Jander is the Primarch of Corruption. It sounds like a pretty bad job, and it is. Corruption is seen by most sentient races as a bad thing, but without it everything would stagnate. Stagnation would lead to destruction just as fast, if not faster than his activities. Imagine a world where no one grew old. There was no disease, and accidents didn't claim lives. There was no evil, so crime didn't exist. Sounds like a utopia right?" The girls nodded thinking it sounded quite a bit like Crystal Tokyo. "It would be hell. The population would soar without end. In a matter of a few decades the earth would be overcrowded. There would be no way to reach out to other worlds in time to act as a relief and humanity, and everything else on earth, would die. That's a microcosm of what the universe would be like without Jander." He said simply.  
  
"The effect this has on Jander's personality however is pretty extreme. He tends to be sarcastic, rude and very arrogant. People expect the worst from him, and he enjoys exceeding their expectations. Bad things happen around him, so he gives new meaning to keep your enemies closer. If he doesn't like you you'll never get rid of him. If I remember right, he woke up near the inhabited world of Kinmoku. One thing he really hates is Mori and Neko's power of shapeshifting. He rarely ever changes his appearance and anyone that does it as a matter of course get on his nerves. You can imagine how he feels about the Starlights. If you think Galaxia did a number on that poor little planet you haven't even begun to imagine the nightmare of Jander in a bad mood." Haruka hated the Starlights, but not even they deserved what Hikage had just described.  
  
"I on the other hand represent Entropy. Hotaru-chan understands what that is like quite well. I spent eons being depressed. Until you have the job of ending all life in the universe, or in Hotaru-chan's case the solar system, you'll never understand the horror of it. First people seem to think that just because you can kill everyone, that you will kill everyone. It leads to a fairly nasty reputation, and makes having friends, or getting a date sheer hell." He directed a smile at Hotaru, who looked sad at the memories his words invoked.  
  
"Neko is the Primarch of Will. It means that his job only came into being with the creation of the Ulterran, before they came along there was no sentient life other than us. He spent the first six billion years with absolutely nothing to do. He is the youngest of us and acts exactly like you would expect a little brother to do. He loves to taunt and torment Lor, and he and Jander hate each other. Neko only gets serious when something threatens one of two things. The first are cats." He said with a grin. "Cats are about the archetype of free will. They are about the only thing that think of humans as their pets. He loves cats so much that his name means cat in Aleph. When he chose a Japanese name he simply translated his. The only other way to really make him angry is to threaten free will itself." His expression became very serious as he said that. "I don't even want to imagine how badly he would react if he were to find out that say, someone was planning to cleanse all the evil out of humanity. That would destroy their free will, he wouldn't like that at all."  
  
"Mori on the other hand would probably be considered insane if he were human. His job is Nature, in all its glory. Every natural force is his duty to command. From the warmth of the sunlight shining through your window, to the terrifying power of a tsunami set to wipe out a city, and even more. Like the forces he commands, Mori can be gentle, loving and nurturing, or he can shift in an instant into a towering rage, a psychotic frenzy that can only be satiated with death. He is very unpredictable. When you add to it, that he is also the Primarch of Form, well things get a little strange. Nature determines form, it is a fact of adaptation. Imagine of you will, a man with a severe case of bi-polar disorder complicated by psychotic tendencies, a perfect memory, an I.Q. of about five thousand, the ability to become anything he desires, and the power to control the elements. It's not a pretty picture."  
  
"Your original question was is Mina safe, and this will finish the answer. Mori may be insane, but he actually loves Mina. Anyone that attempted to bring her to harm would learn the terrible truth of Mori's greatest power. Gravity is a force of nature, and for sheer destructive potential nothing, and I do mean nothing, rivals the raw power of the fury of a singularity."  
  
The older girls soon left to follow their own pursuits for the rest of the evening, leaving Hikage and Hotaru alone. Haruka wanted to complain, but her common sense, read as Michiru, stopped her. It was pointed out that Hotaru was a teenager now, and should be trusted to a certain degree with her choice of companions, besides no one in existence could stop him if he decided to do anything anyway. Hotaru led Hikage up to her room, where she closed the door.  
  
"So," Hotaru said anxiously, "were finally going to."  
  
"If you really want to, but remember it's very hard to stop, and will be a little painful at first." He reminded her. "I still believe you are a bit too young for this."  
  
"Hikage, you told me you'd never let anything harm me, should I believe you or not."  
  
"Oh you should believe me. I know it for a fact."  
  
"Then go ahead and start."  
  
"Fine." He replied.  
  
Hikage drew Hotaru over to her bed where they quickly sat down facing each other. Hikage raised his hands up palms facing her. She mimicked his positioning, and he slowly moved his hands forward until they touched hers.  
  
"Look directly into my eyes, and whatever you do don't blink until it begins." He whispered.  
  
"Hai." She said as she complied with his request.  
  
"~Dahak, Lord of Entropy, Father of Destruction, Master of Oblivion, heed my call.~" He spoke in Aleph, but somehow she could understand them. She supposed it was due to what they were doing. "~Dahak I call to thee, and beseech thee. Grant upon our chosen one a glimmer of our power!~  
  
The entire house began to vibrate at the termination of Hikage's spell. Streams of black light flowed from him into her. It felt like she was being mildly electrocuted, not exactly pleasant, but far less than some of the pain she had been in.  
  
"~Bands of Entropy stretch and encase. Strengthen that which is fragile." Hotaru gasped as flame seemed to rush through her veins. ".empower that which is weak." A feeling of fullness seemed to stretch her entire being. ".awaken that which sleeps!~" In an instant the tingling brought on by the electricity magnified a thousand times. She gasped at the feeling.  
  
For several long seconds afterwards she simply sat there, staring at Hikage in shock, trembling slightly at the memory of the sensation. Her hair was in total disarray and she had a bit of a wild look in her eyes now, but she had never in her entire life felt better than she did right then.  
  
"Sugoi! That was the most amazing thing I have ever felt!"  
  
"I can think of a few things better, but you're a bit too young for any of them."  
  
Hotaru blushed at the implications of his words. She knew what he was talking about, and as embarrassing as it was, she somewhat disagreed with his opinion that she was too young. From his perspective she was less than a child. Though she was actually fourteen years old now, there was really no telling how old she was physically. In the last year and a half she had gone from a slightly malnourished twelve year old girl, to an infant, to a six year old, to her current appearance. She was more than a little confused about her physical age to say the least.  
  
"I realise the desires you have Hotaru-chan, but we will take no steps towards a physical relationship until you are physically mature enough to handle it." Hotaru became even more embarrassed that he had picked up on her thoughts. "This first infusion of power will do little more than begin to counteract the weakness that Mistress Nine and her subordinates created within you. It will take several more to begin to gift you with the same kinds of boosts that Mina and Ami enjoy. You do remember the consequences I told you of correct?"  
  
"Hai, you told me that until we completely finish I'll be dependent on you to survive."  
  
"Yes, but that side effect won't begin until after you start to demonstrate boosted energy levels. Before then you can still choose to back out."  
  
"I won't back out Hikage." She sounded completely serious. It was a tone no one would have expected from a girl as young as Hotaru. "How will you know that the process is completely finished?" she asked for the first time.  
  
"Do you promise not to even hint to anyone what I am about to tell you?" Once she nodded he smiled at her and continued telepathically. "~It's actually very easy. You will finish right after you have the baby.~"  
  
"You mean this will get me pregnant!" she whispered frantically.  
  
"No, that will only happen in the usual way, I simply mean that the transformation will complete itself when our baby is born."  
  
Hotaru didn't know what to think. Usagi might have understood fate and destiny inspired romances, but being fourteen years old, and knowing that you not only will spend the rest of eternity with someone, but knowing who he is, was a bit scary.  
  
"I think I need to lie down now." Hotaru said a bit faintly.  
  
"You'll dwell on this for a while Hotaru-chan, but don't worry, I'll never push you." He said. She believed him.  
  
He teleported away and she sighed. It was a little creepy having a boyfriend that knew absolutely everything there was about the future. According to him the only things he couldn't foresee when he tried were paradoxes. She smiled as she lay back. It was a little scary, but it was sort of nice to know they would eventually have a baby. Like all girls she wanted to someday hold one of her own.  
  
As she drifted off to sleep she remembered something Hikage had told her when he first brought up the energy transfusions. He had told her it would be completed before her nineteenth birthday.  
  
******** School was never her favourite place, but for this entire week it had been far worse than usual. One of the few things in the world that made school tolerable to Usagi was her friends. Ever since Saturday though not even that had helped.  
  
First was the fact that Makoto refused to speak to Ami. Any time they were in the same place Makoto refused to even acknowledge that she was even there. It went so far that Makoto had turned down several invitations to spend time with the rest of the scouts. She had said that she was busy, but the truth was obvious. She felt that Ami had betrayed her, and no longer wanted anything to do with her.  
  
The looks Makoto gave Konjou throughout the week were heartbreaking. It was depressingly easy to see that she still loved him. It was strange to Usagi that Makoto had been so afraid of him before the battle that had revealed him to be Neko, yet now that the truth was out, it was like his true identity was unimportant. Usagi didn't know what to make of it, but the fact that it was tearing apart the bonds that held her Senshi together was frustrating her to no end.  
  
Mina seemed a little strange all week. She was not her usually overenthusiastic bubbly self. She seemed a bit tired and slightly more spacey than usual, even for her. One thing that didn't change was her affection for Tenjin. She seemed to constantly be touching him. If touching was impossible she seemed to always be looking at him. The few times that he wasn't in the same room as her, she simply stared at the last place he'd been, looking a little lost and frightened.  
  
Usagi was very worried by Mina's actions, but Luna and Artemis both agreed that Mina was not under any sort of control. They mentioned something to her about it being a side effect of Mina healing him, but she couldn't understand what they meant by that.  
  
Rei also worried her. Usagi would have thought that Rei would have transferred back to Thomas Aquinas once the power was restored, but Grandpa Hino had decided to leave her where she was for now. He simply stated that changing schools again would likely harm her education. Since he was smiling when he said it, Usagi privately believed he really did it to let her stay with her friends.  
  
What worried her about Rei was that she kept noticing her looking at Tenjin with a wistful expression. Usagi knew that look well. She had seen it on the faces of every girl in the school last year when the Starlights transferred here. She had seen it on Makoto and Mina's faces every time they saw a cute boy. It was the look of a girl with a crush, and she had it on Tenjin.  
  
Usagi was admittedly a little ditsy, but even she could see how bad that would be. Mina would react very badly to learning that Rei was crushing on Tenjin. Rei had Mina's inexplicable illness to thank for her not noticing already. Usagi thought it was a bit strange for Rei to fall for Tenjin now. She had expressed nothing but friendship for him all this time, why only after the battle would she develop feelings for him?  
  
She didn't even want to think about her own situation. Learning the man you are destined to spend the rest of your life with is a lying, cheating, two timing waste of space was depressing. Having proof of his infidelity shoved in your face was even worse. Having the woman he cheated on you with be someone that supposedly is one of your closest friends added insult to injury, but the worst was knowing that despite all of that, she still loved him.  
  
The Inner Senshi were self destructing around her and there were three things at fault as far as Usagi could tell, Konjou, Tenjin, and love. She couldn't really be angry at love, but the boys needed a talking to. She knew they hadn't really done anything to her Senshi. At least they hadn't done anything that the Senshi in question hadn't asked for, but something had to be done.  
  
"Konjou?" Usagi asked during lunch on Friday.  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"Can I talk to you and Tenjin alone for a minute? It's very important."  
  
"Sure, lemme just go pry him away from Mina." He gave Ami a grin and stood to gather Tenjin.  
  
Ami looked at Usagi and noted the completely serious look on her face. She knew from talking to Konjou that Mori and Usagi had yet to discuss the concessions they had supposedly won, but she strongly doubted this had anything to do with that. The Primarchs had yet to take any action since the battle, and an unstable peace seemed to settle over the two groups.  
  
Konjou and Tenjin returned a short time later but, contrary to Usagi's request, Mina was still at Tenjin's side. Mina gave Ami a funny look and waved her to stand up. When Ami complied with a confused expression Mina elaborated with words.  
  
"Come on Ami, we both know that Konjou would tell you everything anyway, so why drag it out." She smiled at Usagi and continued. "I'm just 'elevating the middleman'." No one made comment of Mina's massacred idiom. Things like that had happened more in the last week than in the previous two years that Ami had known her.  
  
"Fine." Usagi said. "Let's go sit down somewhere private. This is important."  
  
Everyone nodded their heads and followed Usagi. It was sad Ami thought, how much Usagi had changed since learning Mamoru had cheated on her. The happy bubbly teen had turned literally overnight into this. This of course was a too serious girl. She was still quite friendly, but the innocent joy she found in life despite all the horror she had seen was gone, destroyed by losing faith in the one person that could truly hurt her.  
  
Usagi led them to a pair of benches located under a shade tree in the courtyard. She waited until the others were seated on one, then, took her place on its twin. She looked directly and unflinchingly into their eyes. They could see a pain inside her that made even Konjou and Tenjin want to sooth her pain.  
  
"What is it Usagi?" Tenjin asked. As usual he instantly assumed leadership of the small group.  
  
"I'm not sure how to say this." She began. "My. my Senshi are falling apart, and it's your fault." She ignored the sputtering denials and continued. "I know that you didn't mean to do it, but before you woke up we were a team, we were closer than sisters. Now Mako-chan pretends that Ami isn't there. Rei-chan walks around torn between making calf eyes at Tenjin, and being mad at herself for liking Mina's boyfriend. Mina-chan spends so much time with you that besides school I haven't even seen her since Saturday, and Ami-chan, the only person I think could help me fix all this mess, has been almost as distant as Mina." She paused to gather her breath, and the others could see tears in her eyes.  
  
"Luna and Artemis keep telling me it will work itself out, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Michiru just smiles and pats me on the head like a child. Haruka looks terrified any time I even mention Mori. I don't even want to think about Setsuna right now. I can't do this on my own. I need help and it looks like the only people I can ask are the people right in the middle of all of the problems. Please help me." Usagi begged with tears running down her face.  
  
"What do you want us to do Usagi-chan?" Konjou asked her softly. He had moved over to her bench and had pulled her into his arms as soon as she started crying.  
  
She looked up at him, her bottom lip trembling as tears leaked down her face. Her expression was one of abject misery.  
  
"I don't know." she whispered. "I just can't think of any way to make it go back."  
  
"Maybe it can't go back Usagi-chan." Every head whipped around and faced Tenjin at his use of the simple endearment. Tenjin was usually very distant from anyone other than Mina. His calling of her Usagi-chan was a first, and very shocking. "Maybe instead of trying to make it the way it was, we need to change it into something else."  
  
"I don't understand." Usagi said.  
  
"I think I do." Ami said. "Every problem we have right now has to do with relationships. Makoto is angry with me about Konjou's and my relationship. Rei is brooding about her lack of one, and Mina's success with the man she's attracted to." She ignored Mina's frown at the second mention of Rei being interested in Tenjin. "Even Usagi's problem with Mamoru is a relationship dispute, though theirs is far more serious in my opinion."  
  
"What we need to do is come up with some way to straighten this tangled mess out." Tenjin added.  
  
"Does anyone have any ideas how to begin?" Ami asked. "I don't personally have any idea how to deal with the issue with Mamoru. I must admit to being somewhat distracted lately attempting to figure out a way to help Makoto adjust, though with her ignoring me it's been hopeless so far."  
  
"I think we need to get Mako-chan and Rei-chan their own boyfriends." Mina said sullenly. "Then they'd leave ours alone."  
  
Everyone stopped and stared at Mina as she finished her complaint. The idea was simplistic in the extreme, but it was also brilliant. Tenjin pulled Mina into a kiss that had the others politely clearing their throats.  
  
"You're a genius Mina-chan!" he said.  
  
"It just might work." Konjou agreed.  
  
"We would have to be careful. The boys in question would have to be someone they could fall in love with. Otherwise we would soon be back to where we are now." Ami added.  
  
"And Mako-chan and Rei couldn't know we set them up. Rei-chan would be very mad at us if she found out." Usagi replied.  
  
"Also, whoever we find has to be able to know that they are Senshi. If they didn't know it would put a strain on the relationship." Konjou said.  
  
"And it would be best if they were capable of defending themselves somewhat. I know Rei well enough that she couldn't tolerate a boyfriend that she had to constantly protect." Tenjin said  
  
"That would also apply to Makoto." Ami supplied.  
  
"What we need is more information on what they like. Together we can accomplish nearly anything minna, but without more information we're flying blind." Tenjin stated with fervour.  
  
"I know a way, but it's not exactly nice, and it's against a whole bunch of rules of etiquette that we followed for about six billion years." Konjou replied.  
  
"I think I get your meaning." Tenjin said. "Mina-chan, Usagi-chan, I want to ask your permission to do something that is about the worst invasion of privacy you can imagine." When they stared wide eyed at him he continued. "I want to probe into your minds and discover everything I can about Rei and Makoto. The problem is I'll learn much more than that while I'm there."  
  
"Sprite, I'd like permission to do the same to you." Konjou said when Tenjin paused.  
  
The girls looked at one another and considered the implications. If they allowed them to do it there would be no way to hide anything from them. They would know everything there was to know about them. Their thoughts, their memories, their dreams and desires, their fears and hopes, all would be laid bare before them.  
  
Mina and Ami reached their decision in seconds. The boys already knew more about them than anyone else. They had no fear of their loves abusing anything they learned about them. If anything it would bring them closer together, allowing a greater understanding than years of a normal relationship would bring.  
  
Usagi took time to decide. Unlike Mina she didn't love Tenjin. In truth she was still afraid of the Primarchs. She had many things in her head that she wanted no one to know. Her insecurities were her own, and allowing another into her mind to see them frightened her greatly. Also was the consideration of the bond she had with Mamoru. They sometimes, when the need was great, were able to share thoughts and dreams, even communicating telepathically on occasion. She had no idea what that would cause if Tenjin probed her. In the end the decision came down to one thing, it might be the only way to save her Senshi.  
  
"Do it." Usagi said firmly. Mina and Ami quickly nodded their assent as well.  
  
"We don't have the time right now. How about you come over after school today Usagi. I know Ami and Mina will be there." Konjou said with a smile.  
  
"Fine."  
  
******** The moon shown full upon Neko's balcony, he could just make out Ami's sleeping form through the curtain. He knew that her mother worked the emergency ward tonight making it possible for her to once again stay with him. He shook his head at the plethora of memories he now possessed.  
  
"Trying to sort yourself out again?" Mori asked from his side.  
  
"Yea, Kami Mori, I just didn't really want to know all of that."  
  
"I know the feeling. I have both of them in my head now. It's like, wow, I've lived most of their entire lives with them now. It has the unfortunate side effect of making me feel a lot more for Usagi than is safe."  
  
"I hadn't considered that." Neko said with sorrow in his voice. "Will you be able to handle it?"  
  
"Yea, but man, I want to go downstairs and rip Mamoru's liver out and make him eat it right about now."  
  
"You realize that Lor has something to do with that weirdness right?"  
  
"Yea, but for the life of me I can't figure out what he did, or even better why.  
  
"Me either. Did you learn what we needed?"  
  
"Not really. They had this really nasty block in their memories. It was hell taking it out, but when I removed it I got flooded with Memories from another life of theirs. I don't know if I got it back in place when I left. Their might be a little leakage across that barrier now."  
  
"Yea I had the same trouble with Ami. I know I didn't put it back exactly right. The damn Silver Crystal put it there. I could see the spell weavings easily."  
  
"You know, I think Lunari's descendents might have been abusing the Crystal. I saw some pretty serious evidence of it in Usagi's memories."  
  
"Yea. You do realize that Lunari herself made the first Senshi, right?"  
  
"It looked like it to me. I just want to know where she got the idea to link mortals to an elemental power source. How many did she accidentally kill trying to work that out?"  
  
"It must have been thousands. The Crystal was never designed to do things like that." Neko said with disgust. "She altered them so much I don't even know if they're actually human. That has to be the reason they can absorb our energies. She turned them into energy sponges. Sure it was intended to only be elemental energy of a predetermined type, but she never counted on them ever running into us."  
  
"I agree." Mori said at length. "You know what we have to do now right?"  
  
"Yep. The only way to find out what we need it to probe the girls themselves, but I'd like to mention that I really hate that idea."  
  
"So do I." Mori remarked. "Well, we might as well get started. I'll go handle Rei." Mori waved goodbye as he teleported away.  
  
Konjou turned and looked at Ami through the sliding glass door of his balcony. She was so beautiful, and when she slept she seemed totally at peace. Knowing he didn't have long before she noticed his absence, even in her sleep, he teleported directly to Makoto's bedside and began his probe.  
  
******** As the Carnaloth tore its second victim apart and began to drink her blood, it decided that it loved Juuban. Not only could it indulge in it's favourite pastime of indiscriminate killing, it could also feast on the fear. It fed almost as much on fear as blood, and the tenth street shopping district was a buffet for it.  
  
The fear had started instants after it had appeared, and the sheer number of people made escape impossible for all of them. Several her down and injured from being trampled by the fleeing crowds. It would have all the blood it could drink.  
  
"Mars Flame Sniper!" A voice called out from above it, and a bolt of fire singed its hide causing it to miss its grab for victim number three.  
  
It could feel other magic being summoned around it. Mostly elemental based. It seemed that the defenders of this place had finally arrived. Oh well, it thought, time to do what it was really here for.  
  
The creature moved with astounding quickness. Like the Yugoloth they had faced recently it was both fast and agile. It lacked the near human appearance of the Yugoloth, and instead appeared somewhat doglike, very much similar to Neko's Man-cat appearance. It's fur dripped blood from its disgusting meal and bits of gore still clung to it.  
  
Only Venus, Mars and Mercury were here yet, the others were close but they wouldn't arrive for several minutes. Venus smiled as she prepared to release her attack. Even Tenjin admitted that it hurt, and if it could damage one of the most powerful beings in the universe, then this thing had no chance. As she charged up her attack something felt off to her. When she released the energy she knew the answer. Her power was again back to normal.  
  
The Heart shaped concussive blast struck the monster, and it actually snickered at it. Another fire arrow burned into it, again eliciting little response. Ami's supercharged Aqua Rhapsody got its attention, but it seemed somewhat resistant to the attack. It would take quite a few hits like that to take it down.  
  
"Spread out!" Mina yelled. "Don't give this thing any chances."  
  
The creature rushed at Ami. The strategy of destroying the enemy capable of causing the greatest harm seemed the order of the day to it. It got a rude shock when the human was capable of dodging out of the way. It was even more surprised by her strength. When it moved in to rend her limb from limb she quickly struck out with her foot in a lightning fast kick lifting the creature a dozen meters into the air, only to slam hard against the unyielding ground moments later.  
  
Rei had had enough of being the weak link. Though Mina seemed to be in the same position as her today, it galled her to think that Ami was now ten times the Senshi she was. She absolutely refused to be seen as beneath her friends. The unknown creature was in for an eye opening experience if it though she was helpless though.  
  
"Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen. Akuryou taisan!"  
  
The Carnaloth froze in mid swing. The ward was unbelievably powerful. It had never in all of its life even heard of a ward that could hold one of its kind. It turned the full might of its magical power to breaking the warding.  
  
Mina was overjoyed at Rei's success. Rei had been feeling worthless as a Senshi ever since the Primarchs showed up. Her powers both spiritual and magical had been useless against them, and it had hurt her. This creature though was held fast by they power of her spirit. She managed a smile at Rei before she collapsed from exhaustion.  
  
Ami wanted badly to check on Mina, however the monster was showing signs of throwing off the ward so she didn't dare. She couldn't use any of her attacks on it for fear of damaging the ward, but that didn't mean she couldn't use her brain. She had just begun her scans when her computer screamed a warning of a massive incoming power wave.  
  
Mori and Neko materialized in the middle of the battlefield in full combat mode. Their combined auras were giving off enough energy to put her scanners in danger of literally burning out. Mori took one look at Mina's downed form and he changed.  
  
Neko dashed to the side to avoid the swelling of Mori's aura. Before the creature could be destroyed by his friend's wrath, he quickly cast an incantation penetrating deep into the Carnaloth seeking the bonds that had summoned the creature. He didn't have much time to act before the thing was reduced to less than it's component atoms to do what he needed.  
  
The summoning was powerful and very familiar. The number of beings that could accomplish it should truthfully number five. Only an Ulterran Elder could have cast that particular spell, and as far as he knew only the Primarchs remained of that breed.  
  
Mori was beyond angry. Angry was hearing someone insulting the woman you love. Angry was finding out a day late that a people you had promised to defend had been destroyed. Angry was knowing you had been betrayed, and being unable to find the culprit. Seeing Mina injured on the ground pushed him far past that, past enraged and into something he called 'The Blackness'.  
  
Sounds began to echo weirdly, the colours seemed off. Ami desperately wanted to scan the area and learn what was happening, but she knew for certain that if she tried her scanners would melt. The power was so heavy in the air it made breathing difficult. Neko was shouting something at her but his voice sounded so strange, it seemed to overlap itself countless times, making comprehension impossible.  
  
Suddenly she began to feel a pulling towards the creature. A quick look confirmed that it wasn't just her. All manner of cast aside debris from the stampeding civilians began to tumble towards the monster. The dead bodies of its earlier victims slid sickeningly across the ground towards it. Even the wind blew towards it.  
  
Mori's aura became impossible to look at the brightness cast everything into relief washing out all colour under the golden radiance. She heard a tremendous cracking of stone, and wondered what was happening. She dropped to the ground as carefully as possible to keep the wind from pushing her any further into the strange disturbance. Even on the ground she could feel a pull that had her spreading out to create as much friction as possible.  
  
"~Hang on Sprite. It's almost over. I have Rei safe, so you don't need to worry about her.~" Neko's voice intruded into her mind. She savagely suppressed a feeling of betrayal she felt when he said that he had Rei safe. She knew he trusted her to be able to defend herself, but he was her boyfriend dammit.  
  
The event ended with a massive clap of thunder. When Ami looked up the monster was just gone. Well the monster, several yattai and a perfect hemisphere of street three metres across. Mori was holding Mina in his arms, and his eyes seemed wild. There was no question that approaching him right now would be suicide.  
  
"What in the name of the Kami happened?" Rei whispered in some combination of awe and sick fascination.  
  
"I dealt with the Carnaloth." Mori said coldly. "I wouldn't disturb me unless it is critical." He growled, and vanished.  
  
"Neko? My scanners are picking up hard x-ray radiation, and exotic nuclear particles that they classify as theoretical. What did he do." Her voice was anything but calm.  
  
"He sentenced it to the most horrifying death I can imagine. He created a singularity and had it eat him."  
  
"Masaka." Ami said.  
  
"Singularity?" Rei asked  
  
"A black hole. He created a black hole, Rei." Ami simplified automatically.  
  
"Kami, he can do that?"  
  
"Oh yes, Rei. He can do that. That's the reason Jander doesn't ever try anything with him. He's unstable enough at times to do just that." Neko said still staring at the damage caused by the Carnaloth's execution.  
  
"At least the thing died quickly." Ami said. "Nothing deserves to feel that kind of power."  
  
"Quickly?" Neko said in a strangled voice. "You must be mistaking the effect of the event horizon for the maw of the singularity itself. An object on the event horizon of one would be in a sort of time stop, one second passing for them every thousand years or so for us, so yes, it would seem very quick. But once you pass the event horizon things become quite different. The maw itself works backwards. It's a property of time-space only theorized by current human science. Once an object enters the maw it would be moving at infinite speed. Time outside would seem to stand still for it. In the space of a second for us trillions of years would pass for the victim. They would literally feel it as every molecule was torn from their body one at a time and sucked into the singularity, it would take eons for them."  
  
Ami felt sick. The implications of what she had just heard were just wrong. She didn't even want to imagine it. Unfortunately she had a very active imagination.  
  
******** Neko found Mori in the subspace training room. He was working over one of their punching bags, and looked to have been doing it for quite a while. He was covered in sweat, something that rarely happened to them, and the bag showed definite signs of wear.  
  
"We need to talk Mori. What you did today."  
  
"It made her pass out. She used all of her energy trying to help her friends Neko. She could have died from the burnout." He growled.  
  
"Was it really that bad Mori." Neko asked shocked. He hadn't had a chance to examine her before Mori had left, but if what Mori said was true his actions became far more understandable.  
  
"She exhausted nearly everything she had healing me Neko. The energy she's getting from me isn't being absorbed fast enough to both keep her alive and use for battle. You know she's been tired all week. That's why. She wastes so much energy with those stupid attacks that it almost killed her."  
  
"So teach her easier magic. You know spells she could use."  
  
"That's not the problem. It's the language she uses. It eats so much power converting her spell into the proper forms that there's almost nothing left to fuel the attack. The stupid attacks are mid level parlour tricks and you know it. Any half competent mage can do better."  
  
"If it's the translation of energy that's the problem, teach her to skip the step. You're really stupid today Mori." Neko said disgusted.  
  
Mori growled at Neko, but didn't reply. He knew Neko was right, but it didn't make him feel any better. He was being forced to do something that was in his opinion terrible. He loved Mina with all of his heart, and he desired her constantly, but for the moment he had to use sex to literally keep her alive. That wasn't what it was about for him, and it disgusted him to see something beautiful reduced to a need.  
  
"You have a good point." Mori finally admitted. "I'll begin teaching her Aleph tonight."  
  
"We have something that might even be more important happening tonight, Mori, or have you forgotten?"  
  
"Dammit, your right. Well at least it will give the Senshi a little more aid in battle."  
  
"That's something else we have to discuss soon, but I want the rest of us here for it." Neko's eyes flashed when he spoke.  
  
"Well are you ready to do this?" Mori asked.  
  
"Sure."  
  
******** Neko snuck through the apartment, the owner was asleep but it wouldn't have mattered if he had been awake. Neko was quite invisible, and very very quiet. It took less than three minutes to locate his goal and even less to open the sealed case. Nestled inside exactly where Mori had said they would be, were his targets. They weren't pretty at all, but they were exactly what they needed to fix the problem.  
  
Neko teleported back to he and Mori's spell lab and began the long preparation. Neither of them would likely be done before noon. He only hoped that Ami-chan didn't get too curious about where he was. She would not be pleased with him over this one.  
  
Hours later Mori had finished the preparations. The results of his labours lay before him. They had been victims of a terrible tragedy. Innocent souls swept up in a destiny far beyond their experience or control, but when the Senshi saw them all hell would break loose.  
  
"Mori were going to have to do something to get the girls to do something other than kill first and not bother asking questions later."  
  
"How about we have them play Tuxedo Kamen. If it could net a loser like Mamoru someone like Usagi, it might just do the trick for them too."  
  
"Ok, but if Blondie here even thinks about."  
  
"I understand completely. I share your concerns. Maybe we need to have a bit of a re-education for them before we send them into the wide world."  
  
"Wide world my butt, I bought that apartment complex yesterday. Their getting moved in on the twelfth floor."  
  
"Even better, if they misbehave I'm putting them back, only worse. Oh and what did you do about the display."  
  
"Oh that?" Neko laughed. "Trust me they wont be missed"  
  
In an apartment not far away at all, a young man slept while a locked glass case held only illusions of the stones once so carefully enshrined within.  
  
End Chapter 7 


	8. Restitution

Chapter 8: Restitution  
  
Lightning arced from the outstretched hands of the taller of the two men that stood in the shadowy room. It jumped from his palms to strike the four figures laying on stone tables a few metres away. Long minutes passed and still the lightning played about the room, its electric buzzing easily drowning out all other sounds. Eventually he lowered his arms halting the dramatic visual display.  
  
The two men watched the four figures closely. This was the most crucial phase of their operation. Time seemed to stand still for the two as the peered intently at their charges. The shorter of the two leapt gloriously and cackled madly when a long moan of pain began to emanate from the tables.  
  
"It's alive, it's alive I tell you, alive!" He screamed.  
  
"Mori?" His companion said with almost no emotion.  
  
"Yea Neko?" The smaller man replied calmly, all former signs of elation and insanity gone.  
  
"You really need to lay off the television. You're getting weirder than usual."  
  
"Yea, sorry about that, it was one of those things that just had to be done."  
  
"No it didn't."  
  
Movement from the tables quickly ended the debate. Slowly and painfully the four figures sat up revealing themselves to be young men. They glanced around the room and quickly shared a look among themselves, before the largest of them, a tall well muscled white haired man, spoke up.  
  
"What happened?" He said in a deep smooth voice.  
  
"You lost." Neko replied.  
  
********  
  
A few hours later the four men sat in front of a large table. The remains of a meal sat before them and they each still held large goblets. Mori and Neko sat sprawled in thick plush chairs that hadn't been in the room all that long ago. The men looked troubled, none more than the most slender of them.  
  
He was the shortest of the four, highly slender and very bishonen. His long blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail tied at the base of his neck. His light blue uniform seemed a part of him, even though his appearance was anything but formal.  
  
"Ten thousand years?" He asked bewildered. "I knew it was a long time, but ten thousand years? That's incomprehensible. Has she."  
  
"Yes," Neko replied coldly, "she's moved on, but that doesn't mean that you aren't needed. All of you have a job you have been neglecting for far too long."  
  
"It's hardly our fault." Another of the men, this one a slightly taller short haired blond in a matching uniform replied. "I tried my best to fight it, but no human could have withstood."  
  
"Oh I don't hold your failure against you." Mori interrupted. "I hold it against the person who kept you from it. In a way though, I'm glad. If you hadn't succumbed to her power, Mina would have never been reborn in this time. If she had never been reborn, I would have never met her. So you see its all for the best." He said ignoring the pained look in the white haired man's eyes.  
  
"The true reason we brought you back wasn't a need for you to defend your prince, or even for the excellent contribution you could make to the team. It was for Makoto and Rei." Neko said simply. "Unlike Ami and Mina," again he ignored the flinch from the white haired, and bishonen blond men, "they haven't moved on. That means you two," he said pointing at the short haired blond and the fourth of the group, a tall muscular long haired brunette, "still have a chance. Of course they don't exactly have pleasant memories of you, and would rather roast you over a spit than look at you, but we'll find a way around that."  
  
The men again shared a look amongst themselves. The world as they remembered it was over. There was little they could do about what had transpired since their capture but there was one thing they agreed on. They would find some way to make up for their mistake.  
  
"Tell us," the white haired man implored, "what exactly has happened since they awoke."  
  
Mori and Neko nodded to each other and beckoned the others closer.  
  
"I am so glad you asked." Mori said with an evil smirk.  
  
"Yea," Neko agreed, "this is much easier when the victim. err recipient is willing."  
  
Without further discussion beams of light fired from the palms of Mori and Neko's hands striking the foreheads of the others. The four men dropped to the ground thrashing in agony at the powerful psychic invasion. Memories tumbled through their heads burning themselves into their minds. Seconds, centuries, eons later it seemed, the agony receded leaving only horror in its wake.  
  
"Kami-sama," the brunette spoke, "what have I done?" His horrified question was soon mimicked by his companions.  
  
"Exactly what you were ordered to do, without thought for right or wrong, love or compassion, duty or honour, or even the people you swore to love and defend. You betrayed everyone and everything you ever loved. Your actions caused the world as you knew it to be destroyed. You four are singly handedly responsible for murdering not only the women you loved, but also the only hope your people had of halting the destruction." Neko said quietly. "That is your sin. That is the crime your failure created. We give you the chance to atone for that, and for two of you to try to win back the person you betrayed most. I can not guarantee your success, but I can give you the chance. Will you try?"  
  
"We will." The four answered nearly as one. Only the bishonen one lagged behind the others.  
  
"Mercury-chan." he whispered softly as a tear ran down his cheek.  
  
******** Ami was quite bored. She had long since completed her every assignment, and even she could only study so much. Neko was with Mori in what they called their 'Spell Laboratory'. You couldn't usually hear the mild accent that the Primarchs had. They learned quickly how to hide such things in order to stand out less, but she smiled at the archaic way they pronounced Laboratory. It reminded her of the old American sci-fi movies.  
  
Choosing to go out onto the balcony to read in the Sunday afternoon sunlight, Ami grabbed her new romance novel and pulled open the sliding door. She stopped frozen in her tracks at the sight that awaited her. On the balcony were cats, dozens and dozens of them. The covered it completely from side to side and front to back, they even took up the narrow railing. The cats were of every age, from kitten to those with grey in their fur, and of every colour imaginable.  
  
She was so shocked by the sight that she almost missed the fact that the raised their heads as one and seemed to nod at her before going back to lounging in the sun. She was quite used to intelligent behaviour from Luna, Artemis and Diana, but seeing strange unmarked cats behaving intelligently had her quickly shutting the door and running for Neko, his request that she not bother him while he was in his laboratory instantly forgotten.  
  
She jerked hard on the closet door that led to the extra dimensional lab and to her irritation found it locked. She pounded hard on it and waited anxiously for either of the boys to answer. Finally as she stared hostilely at the offending door Neko stepped out and secured the door behind him. She savagely suppressed her curiosity at what he was doing in order to tell him about the cats.  
  
"Neko, could you explain the large amount of cats on your balcony. I went out to read and they nodded at me Neko. Normal cats don't nod at people."  
  
"They will at you. One of the little charms I gave you makes normal animals friendlier towards you. It basically makes them see you as one of them. Now just how many cats were out there?"  
  
"Over one hundred if my guess is correct." She said snappishly. She really wished he would tell her things like the anklet making animals like her more, before she found out on her own. It was irritating to no end how secretive he could be at times.  
  
"Oh good," he replied happily. "That group will bring the total number of recruits up to nearly one thousand. I can begin transmogrifying them soon."  
  
"Transmogrifying? What are you doing to the cats Neko?" She asked in a chilly tone.  
  
"Oh, well I'm helping them out. After I learned about the Mau last weekend, I decided to try to bring the race back. I sent a call out to cats all over the world, any that want to undergo the transformation into a Mau should come to me. I figured that it would take longer than a week to gather a thousand, but I'm pleasantly surprised by the number of cats that wish to be transformed."  
  
"You're just going to remake the Mau?" she sounded a little odd. Learning that someone you know planned to recreate a nearly extinct specie could do that to a person.  
  
"Yes, Luna and Artemis are the only Mau I can sense in several dozen light years. In order for the specie to have a future I need to take drastic measures like this."  
  
"Right. Well I'll just go see if Mina wants to go shopping then." She said. Right now even going shopping with Mina sounded better than being anywhere near Neko. It was times like this that she realised the enormous gap there was between what they considered normal or ethical.  
  
"I wouldn't bother. Mori teleported directly to their bedroom from the Lab. You know what those two have been like." He smiled as he said it. "Oh and you might want to stick around today. This afternoon Mori is going to begin teaching Mina our language. I'm willing to bet you'd be interested in joining in, right?"  
  
She glared at him for the foolish question. Nothing in the world irritated her as much as when he spoke to her in Aleph. She hated not understanding something, and she knew he did it just to annoy her. The thought of him not being able to get by with that was almost as much a motivator as the joy of learning something new.  
  
"You knew I'd be interested before you asked, but thank you for inviting me."  
  
"Anything for you, Sprite." He said softly as he brushed her cheek with his hand. "Sedrul laserin Mizuno Ami." He whispered, brushed her lips with a kiss, and made his way towards his bedroom, leaving her there with a smile on her face.  
  
Ami hardly saw Neko at all despite being in his apartment all morning. It was a strange occurrence, and upset her more than a little. She was here to be with him, not to spend her time alone. She knew it was childish of her, but the knowledge did little to dissuade her from feeling that way. By afternoon she had progressed beyond upset and into annoyed. When Neko materialized in the library at around two in the afternoon she was reaching critical mass.  
  
"So you've finally decided to pay attention to your girlfriend?" she asked coldly.  
  
"I'm sorry Sprite. I haven't been trying to avoid you today, but I had a lot of things to do."  
  
"Like you and Mori's mysterious project in the lab?" She inquired aloofly.  
  
"Exactly, and moving the new cat's into their temporary home, and dealing with some paperwork that came up recently. It's unbelievable how much importance your society places on documentation of the obvious."  
  
"You'll simply have to adjust." She said. His explanation mollified her somewhat, but she couldn't resist getting a last little jab in. "And of course you know so much more about modern society than I do that I couldn't possibly have been any help with your paperwork."  
  
Neko wasn't stupid. He knew a trap when he saw one. There was no real way to answer something like that. Any answer would be wrong, one would call her stupid, while the other would say that he hadn't considered asking for her assistance. Neither was a good idea. Luckily he had a perfect way out of this one.  
  
"No Sprite, I didn't ask you to help because of who I was at the time. How would I have explained your presence when I looked like this?" With that his appearance changed into that of a man in his mid thirties. He was obviously too young appearing to be her father, and too old to be anything else.  
  
"Okay, that makes sense." She admitted somewhat ashamedly. "Will you tell me what the paperwork was about?"  
  
"Sure, I was finalizing the change of ownership on this apartment complex."  
  
"You bought the apartment complex?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"You bought the apartment, and you got them to finalize a title change on a Sunday? How did you manage that?"  
  
"When you can create gems from thin air money ceases to be a concern. I just offered them enough money to motivate them properly."  
  
"Sometimes you frighten me Neko."  
  
"I don't mean to, Sprite, oh and its time for the language class." Ami was out of the room and down the hall before he finished the sentence.  
  
********  
  
"I can't believe you did that Mako-chan." Usagi said sternly.  
  
She stared at her errant Senshi with truly impressive amounts of censure in her eyes. Makoto looked briefly ashamed of her actions, but quickly her face again took on a look of stubborn determination. Usagi sighed at Makoto's expression and once again tried to bridge the gap between her Senshi.  
  
"We did good today even without most of the Outers." She said quickly. "Ami did you learn anything about this enemy before you had to fight?"  
  
Ami smiled at Usagi. She was highly impressed by the amount of maturity and leadership Usagi had been showing lately. Of course she was still angry at Mamoru for his betrayal that had caused such a drastic change, but the change itself was nice.  
  
"Very little I'm afraid." She replied.  
  
"Oh like that's a big shock." Makoto said rudely.  
  
"As I was saying," Ami continued as if Makoto's words hadn't hurt. "The creature seemed similar to the previous two, despite the superficial differences in appearance. Like the Carnaloth and the Yugoloth it was quite resistant to magic. Also like it's predecessors it was incredibly strong and fast."  
  
"Wow, it took your computer to learn all that?" Makoto again interjected.  
  
Ami was beginning to get angry. She understood Makoto's feelings, but this constant abuse was beginning to push even her buttons. She sent a pleading look at Usagi who quickly took control once again.  
  
"That's mean Mako-chan. You know Ami-chan didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
"Like it matters. Are we done here?" Makoto asked abruptly.  
  
"No." Rei replied.  
  
Rei knew what Makoto was going through quite well. She herself was in a similar situation, but Makoto was placing far too much blame on Ami. It was Makoto's own fault that she broke up with Konjou. If she would have stayed with him despite her fears Ami would have never done what she did.  
  
"We have to talk about what we saw Makoto. These things are tough. So far I haven't been able to do more than paralyze them with wards. Only Usagi and Ami seem to be able to hurt them."  
  
"Ami can only hurt them because she's screwing Konjou."  
  
"That's enough Mako-chan." Mina interrupted. She was feeling quite a bit better after the weekend. Luckily the monster had been taken care of before she arrived so she hadn't needed to fight. "I know you're hurting Mako-chan but can't you see."  
  
"The only thing I see is my friends turning against me. Call me if you see any monsters." With that Makoto stormed out of the room.  
  
Usagi sat staring at the door for a few moments after Makoto's abrupt departure. Everyone could see the tears shining in her eyes that Makoto's actions had caused.  
  
"It's ok Usagi-chan." Mina said as she sat next to her. "I know it will work itself out. Mori promised me he was doing his best to help."  
  
"Do you know what he and Neko are doing?" She asked desperately.  
  
Mina looked at Ami and the two of them shook their heads negatively. Despite all of their efforts they hadn't been able to pry even a hint of the boys' intentions from them.  
  
"I'm sorry Usagi-chan." Mina said dejectedly. "I couldn't get a thing out of him about it. All he said was it was under control but it would take a little time."  
  
"Neko told me the same thing." Ami admitted with annoyance. "Any time I tried to get more than that out of him about it he would just become more and more evasive." She didn't bother to mention that if she continued to press he would shut her up with kisses, a fact she had used to her benefit.  
  
"I hope it doesn't take too long." Usagi said casting a furtive glance at Rei. "This could get a lot worse if they move too slowly."  
  
"I know Usagi-chan," Ami said softly, "but there's nothing I can do to hurry them up, or even get any more information. Those two never write anything down." She sounded frustrated by the lack of information.  
  
"Mori says they never write anything down because they almost never forget anything. I asked him once what Lunari was like and he started giving me her life story. He didn't even live with her and he remembered everything Neko had ever told him about her."  
  
Ami nodded at Mina's description. As frustrating as it was, they really had that good of memories. They had no need to write things down so there was nothing for her to snoop through.  
  
"Does anyone have anything else to say about the monster?" Usagi asked hopelessly.  
  
"No, Usagi chan." Mina said. Rei quickly agreed and half a heartbeat later Ami also shook her head. "Okay, well then I guess this meeting is over. Ami if you see Luna or Artemis could you tell them to come to my house. I really need to talk to them."  
  
"Is it okay if I come with you Usagi?" Rei asked. "Grandpa is letting me out of my duties for the day, and I don't want to spend it alone." She sounded a bit sad at the end.  
  
"Sure Rei-chan," Usagi said sounding a little happier than before. "You know you're always welcome, besides I don't want to be alone either." With hugs spread all around the girls parted ways and left in pairs heading in opposite directions.  
  
Ami and Mina began the walk to the apartment. It had only been three days since the language classes began and already they were encountering problems. Ami, who usually picked up even the most difficult concepts quickly, was doing no better than Mina at remembering the simplest of the words and rules. Though three days was hardly no time at all for learning something as complex as a new language, she felt disheartened by her lack of even them smallest success.  
  
"Mina, I have never felt so stupid in my life." She said  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about Ami-chan?"  
  
"Aleph," she replied. "Its much more difficult than I anticipated."  
  
"Oh, I know. Mori said it took Ulterran children decades to be literate. I think were doing very well for three days."  
  
"Mina, can you remember even one word, one phrase in Aleph? Can you pronounce any of them? I can't, and I'm glad he hasn't even shown us what the written language looks like."  
  
"I remember one phrase, and Mori told me I said it almost right. It was 'Sedrul laserin'. That was easy to remember."  
  
"I've heard it and I can tell you what it meant by context, but the literal translation escapes me. It's almost like even though I know I memorized the words, I can't hold the information in my head."  
  
"Sedrul laserin, 'my heart is' Mori says it was one of the ways to say I love you in Aleph."  
  
Ami stopped and stared at Mina. Again Mina had managed to amaze her. It seemed every time she began to think of Mina as a complete ditz, Mina would manage something that once again proved she was more intelligent than she let on.  
  
"How can you remember that, Mina-chan?"  
  
"It's easy. It means 'I love you' so how could I forget it. I am the Senshi of Love after all." Mina flashed a V symbol with her fingers and continued on her way giggling. After only a moment Ami joined in, and they hurried to the apartment.  
  
********  
  
"So Usagi, what do you feel like doing?" Rei said as the two sombre girls walked towards Usagi's house.  
  
"I don't know Rei-chan. I actually have all of my homework done for once, you know that hasn't happened in so long I don't know what to do." She said with a smile.  
  
"Well, we can always watch movies." Rei said.  
  
"Nahh, hey I know, we can do something we haven't done in weeks!" Usagi chirped with happiness.  
  
"What's that?" Rei was somewhat confused.  
  
"We can go visit Motoki. I haven't been to the Crown since Mori and Neko showed up."  
  
"Oh, good idea Usagi." Rei got an evil grin on her face as she thought up a good way to help cheer up her friend. "You know there's no better place in all Juuban to find cute guys." Usagi gave a small grin at the thought, and the pair rushed towards the Crown.  
  
********  
  
Mori walked into the training room and noted Neko's irritation instantly. Today's language class had gone no better than the previous three, but Mori doubted that was the root of Neko's displeasure. The girls were back at the own houses for the time being, but knowing the pattern they had established they would teleport back over later.  
  
"What's up Neko?"  
  
"Mamoru," he replied. "I can't get past the fact that there's more going on there than I know." He glared hard at the innocent heavy bag and hit it hard enough to shake the supports it was attached to. "I know there has to be some reason that Usagi didn't just laugh off the idea that he cheated on her. Usagi is the sweetest kindest girl I have ever met. She'd forgive almost anything. Hell she tried to talk us out of the plan, and get us to join her side. She's got the kindest heart I have ever seen, so why did she have any doubts about the man that supposedly loves her. What kind of moron could even think about hurting her like that?" He was obviously angrier than Mori had thought.  
  
"I have a few ideas from going through the Senshi's memories."  
  
"I saw it from Mako-chan's and Ami-chan's memories. I know what you're talking about, but I doubt that would make her have any doubts about him. She forgave him instantly for every incident."  
  
"Well, there's another way to find out, besides raiding his mind."  
  
"You mean."  
  
"Yes, I can ask the earth. It remembers everything that ever happened on it."  
  
"Do it."  
  
Hours later a slightly weary Mori watched a very angry Neko pace back and forth across the room. If he were a cat at the time his tail would have been straight up in the air. Only his own self control stood between Mamoru and an eternity of pain.  
  
"Well think of it this way. We know for certain that he didn't touch Setsuna."  
  
"He hit her, Mori. You never told me about that." His words were a cold accusation.  
  
"She forgave him for it. He was under the control of."  
  
"It doesn't matter to me. She wasn't attacking him, he attacked her. He struck her for no reason. She's Lunari's descendent, that makes her family to me."  
  
"Neko you really need to calm down. She doesn't care about that, she's upset that she knew Setsuna had a thing for Mamoru. She knew about it but never thought it would be a problem, now she thinks she might have set herself up for this by never talking to them about it. Face it Neko, Usagi is one strange odango."  
  
"I'll talk to Usagi about Mamoru, let her know he's innocent, but I'm going to have a long talk with Mamoru as well. If he ever hurts her again he's just going to disappear."  
  
Neko still looked too irritated to be left alone so Mori took it upon himself to give him something else to keep his mind occupied. He materialized a glowing blade of psionic force in his hand and moved to attack. Neko sensed the swing moments before contact and quickly formed his own blade. For the next several hours they involved themselves in a fierce sparing match. Had they not been using magic against one another one of them might have noticed the small but powerful flare of energy, as it was the war started without them, their total preoccupation with the match blocked out even the feelings of distress from the ones they loved.  
  
********  
  
She appeared in a flash of crimson light. The effect was purely cosmetic but it suited her, and there were very few beings in existence that would question her anyway. As her entrance was in a secluded place in the Minato-ku Park located in the heart of Juuban there was really no one to see it anyway.  
  
She breathed deeply of the fresh flower scented air and stretched her arms above her head, going onto her tip toes in the process. Luckily there was no one to see that. Any male that would have witnessed the sight of her stretching would have likely died from blood loss. She was gorgeous to put it mildly.  
  
She had long crimson hair gathered in a pony tail high up on her head with a white silken ribbon, it billowed down in a cloud of shimmering crimson all the way to her calves. She wore an aquamarine dress that was more a large silk ribbon wrapped around her generous upper body, it dangled down her sides to her ankles but left her slender stomach completely exposed. A very brief bikini bottom like piece of attire the exact same shade as the body ribbon, barely held anything resembling modesty in place. A pair of white sandals adorned her feet. The only other things she wore were a beautiful pair of ruby teardrop earrings and a large red oval shaped clasp theoretically holding the dress bow together. Her pale skin nearly glowed in the evening light and her sapphire blue eyes swept the area with unknown purpose.  
  
She looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, yet she carried herself with complete confidence. She sauntered out of the clearing and onto the path that lead around the park. A few short minutes later she arrived at the side of the lake and instantly drew the eyes of everyone there.  
  
"Oh Kami, look at her." One boy said to his friends immediately upon seeing her, they attempted to bring their tongues back into their mouths but it was hopeless. Her appearance was greeted two ways. Total fascination from every male, and anger from every female.  
  
"I can't believe her, Look at what she's wearing, that's indecent!" That pretty much summed up the female opinion.  
  
Ignoring them all, she walked directly up to the side of the lake and knelt down to trail her fingers in the water. This of course did interesting things to her outfit, causing the back of it to ride up over her hips exposing the fact that her bikini bottoms were very much thong like. Half the males in the park developed spontaneous nosebleeds at the sight of the gorgeous female so blatantly on display.  
  
She began to sing softly as she swirled her fingers through the cool water, still completely ignoring everyone around her. Her voice was a wonderful mezzo soprano, but her words, though melodic, were completely incomprehensible.  
  
The lake began to froth and bubble as she continued her song-like chant and people quickly began to step away from it. A form began to rise from the churning waters as she maintained her song. The basic Juuban resident knew exactly what that meant. A groan of despair echoed through the park as one thing became obvious. The beautiful girl was summoning some kind of monster, which meant that the Senshi would soon drive her away.  
  
The song ended and a being looking like a humanoid with a squid head stepped away from the water and bowed to the girl. She took a moment to look the creature over, as if searching for imperfections. Once she was satisfied that it possessed whatever odd requirements she had for it she turned around and swept seductively towards the exit of the park in the direction of the shopping district. She curled her fingers in a come hither motion over her shoulder.  
  
"Come Oceanus," she said prettily. "We have much to do this evening."  
  
********  
  
Ami sat at the dinner table with her mother. It was the first time in over a week that they had both been home for the evening meal. They had long ago exhausted the conversation topics of school and work and had settled into a companionable silence. Even so something seemed off to Ami. There was a feeling of anticipation hanging heavy in the air. When the attack came, it caught her completely by surprise.  
  
"So how is your new boyfriend Ami?" Her mother asked.  
  
Ami did her best not to choke on her water as she stared amazedly at her mother. She had no idea how or what her mother knew about Konjou, but she was now officially on dangerous ground.  
  
"What boyfriend Mother?" She asked cautiously.  
  
"Well the one you've been sneaking out to spend the night with of course." Mizuno-san said with a positively demonic grin.  
  
"What.umm. What do you mean?" she asked hoping that denial would somehow help her get through this complete crisis.  
  
"Ami-chan, I called home every night in the last week. You never answered. At first I just assumed you were already asleep, but Sunday I came home on my lunch break and checked up on you, Of course you weren't here, and a little of my motherly intuition led me to these." She said producing the box of condoms that Ami had stashed in her underwear drawer.  
  
Ami was torn between anger and mortification. She was mortified to learn that her mother knew that she hadn't been sleeping here, and even more so that she was with a boy, but the idea that her mother had gone through her drawer struck her as a complete invasion of privacy.  
  
"Mother!" she shrieked.  
  
"Oh don't try to turn this on me. I had every right to try to find out where my daughter was, and who she was with. Now, we're going to sit down and have a nice mother daughter talk about your recent behaviour."  
  
Ami knew this would be the worst day of her life. She had never before prayed for a monster to attack, but right now she would gladly rather fight for her life than have this particular conversation with her mother. When she finally joined her mother in the living room the interrogation began.  
  
"So Ami-chan, what is his name?"  
  
"His name is Nekojin Konjou. He is one of the students that transferred to my school during the power crisis."  
  
"And how old is Konjou."  
  
"He's in my grade." Ami said. It wasn't really the answer to the question but it would do. She had no idea what her mother would think if she knew how old he really was.  
  
"Oh good, I originally thought some older boy had taken advantage of you. It makes me very happy that you are of similar age." Ami tried not to whimper. "Now tell me more about him. Where does he live, what do his parents do for a living, those sorts of things."  
  
Ami nearly cried, it was going to be a long night. Nearly half an hour later Ami felt wrung out like a rag. She had needed to do some careful dancing to keep from lying to her mother, and still not giving away anything that would curl her mother's hair. She thought she was home free and was standing when the last question nearly took her breath away.  
  
"I could tell by how well hidden the condoms were that they haven't been taken out in a while, Ami-chan. Are you using some other form of birth control then? Please don't tell me that you are not using any. I don't really approve of you having sex at your age anyway, but if you are going to there is little I can do to stop it." She looked imploringly at Ami when she continued. "Please Ami-chan, take precautions your future is too important to risk like that."  
  
Ami thought about her answer. Mina had said it best when she asked her the same question right after the battle. They knew the future, there was nothing to worry about. She couldn't tell her mother anything like that, but she needed some way without lying that would reassure her that everything was ok. As she was about to speak up, the Mercury computer in her purse sounded a warning.  
  
"You have the loudest pager I've ever heard Ami-chan." When Ami sat there frozen like a deer caught in the high beams of a semi Mizuno-san smiled at her and responded gently. "Well I wouldn't want you to keep your boyfriend waiting, but you will bring him over to meet me tomorrow." It obviously wasn't a request.  
  
She hugged her mother grabbed her purse and dashed into her room. She tore open her computer and stared hard at the readouts. Someone or something was using a truly impressive amount of magic in the park. She wondered briefly what it was about the park that drew monsters, but quickly shelved the concern for later. She was just about to hit the all call button on her communicator when it went off in her hand.  
  
"Minna!" Luna's voice screamed when she hit the answer button. "There's something using powerful magic powerful at the park. Central classifies it as a summoning. We need to get there now!" She heard Rei, Usagi, and Makoto respond of the Inners, and Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna respond for the Outers. She was troubled by the lack of response from Hotaru and Mina, but there was little she could do yet.  
  
"I'm sorry Setsuna, but I can not in good conscience allow you to join in. Your pregnancy excuses you from your Senshi duties." Setsuna tried to complain but Usagi backed Luna up completely. Setsuna was not about to disobey a direct order from her Princess when she sounded that serious.  
  
"Minna, I'll check on Mina on my way. You know how fast we can move now." Ami said  
  
"Be careful Senshi. The magic source rivals anything we have ever seen other than the Primarchs themselves. I don't know what it is, but it's obviously dangerous."  
  
"Hai." came the response from all the listening Senshi. With that Ami shifted into her Sailor Mercury form and left by her window clearing the four story drop to the ground with no difficulty.  
  
Back in the apartment a dark haired woman stood with her ear to her daughter's door with tears running down her face. Her shoulders shook with her worried sobs as she thought of her daughter.  
  
"Be careful out there Ami-chan." She whispered as she once again resigned herself to the idea that her daughter's life was in the hands of fate.  
  
********  
  
Mina was doing her very best not to fall asleep in her soup. She was helped by the fact that he mother had invited over several of her older cousins, and they were discussing the one thing she would have rather avoided at all costs, her. Yes, she loved being the centre of attention, as long as it wasn't her family's attention. She would have much rather spent the entire night studying with Ami, who was constantly several chapters ahead of the class, or have spiders crawling all over her, then deal with the chattering of her cousins. And the questions.ugh.  
  
"So Mina," a woman her mother's age spoke. "You absolutely must tell me where you met such a cute boy." The woman actually giggled like a school girl. The sound sent shivers down her spine. "Your mother says he's quite handsome and absolutely dotes on you." If she heard the word absolutely from that woman one more time, Mina thought she would scream.  
  
"Oh and he gave you this wonderful bracelet didn't he. Oh isn't it just gorgeous. I can't imagine what you could have done to so turn his head." The lady's expression said that she had several ideas what Mina could have done, and she believed every one of them.  
  
Mina heard her communicator go off, but she was literally trapped by relatives, and was unable to answer it.  
  
"Oh someone's pager is going off. Whose is it.?"  
  
There was a mad dash as all the girls ran to their purses to check if it was their pager. All of her cousins believed they had to be in constant contact with everyone they knew. So even though several of them were housewives they still carried pagers. Several moments later it became obvious that it must be Mina's.  
  
"Oh Mina, it must be Tenjin." A younger cousin squealed. "You have to have him come over and meet us all, you just have to Mina-chan."  
  
Mina knew quite well that it wasn't Mori. He didn't have a communicator, but she would never have a better chance to escape her cousins than this.  
  
"Oh you are so right. Let me just go into my room and call him." She said using her very best airhead voice. The less intelligent they thought she was the better. It made it easier for her to hide her secrets that way.  
  
"Oh you just can't go hide in your room Mina-chan. We want to see you when you talk to him. It's always so romantic to see a girl talking to her first love." Her younger cousin again spoke. Her other relatives nodded in agreement.  
  
Mina didn't bother to disabuse them of the notion that Mori was her first love. If her mother didn't remember how much of a fool she had made of herself in England, then she wasn't about to remind her. She dashed to the telephone and quickly dialled Mori's number. After a half dozen rings when she was sure he wouldn't answer she began to talk as if he had.  
  
"Hello Tenjin." She said seductively. "Oh of course. I missed you too. No I have lots of relatives here right now. No they want to meet you. You can't? Are you sure? But Ten-chan, they really really want to meet you. Really? Ok I'll ask." Mina held the phone to her shoulder and looked directly at her mother. "Mother, Tenjin would like to know if it would be ok for me to go out tonight. He was planning to surprise me with a night on the town, but I never came over like he asked. Please mother, I really want to go."  
  
It took no time at all for the council of females to come to a decision. As much as they wanted to meet him, he had asked Mina out on a date. Meeting the family took second place to something as important as a night on the town.  
  
"Go get ready Mina-chan. I forbid you to miss such an important evening." Her mother told her sternly.  
  
Mina nodded and dashed to her room. She came out less than five minutes later looking as best as she could on such short notice. She had exchanged her blue overalls for a pink skirt and shirt, with a matching pink and white sailor poncho and hat. The effect was overly cutesy but was exactly what she needed to get past her mother.  
  
"Oh Mina-chan!" her mother cried when she came out. "You look so adorable!" She grabbed Mina and pulled her into a hug that quickly had her gasping for air. "Remember Mina-chan, be very careful with him. If you push him too fast you might scare him off." Most normal mothers would warn their daughters about the dangers of boys pushing them for more than was wise for a young girl, but not her mother, no that would be too normal. She got the opposite.  
  
Mina had just made it outside when she saw Mercury leaping from rooftop to rooftop towards her house. She instantly transformed and leapt up to join her.  
  
"Sorry I'm late." Venus said "I had a bit of trouble getting away from my family."  
  
"So did I. There's something going on at the park."  
  
"Why's it always the park?" Venus said as she quickly began leaping towards the oft attacked recreational area.  
  
"I don't know. It might be some sort of nexus of chaotic energy that draws evil creatures." Venus gave her a disbelieving look as she made an easy leap from a house to a seven story apartment across the street. "Or it could just be blind stupid chance."  
  
"I'll bet on the chance." Venus muttered.  
  
They were half a kilometre from the park when they saw the flashes of light. There was no mistaking what that meant. The world seemed to stop around them as the sped up to as fast as they could go. Their friends needed them.  
  
********  
  
Uranus had no trouble at all locating the threat. A gorgeous woman wearing just shy of nothing leading a bipedal squid down the street was something you just couldn't mistake. Cautious of making another blunder, like the one that had set the Primarchs against them, she chose a less hostile way than a world shaking to introduce herself.  
  
She leapt down to the street and began to walk up to the redhead when she noticed Saturn stepping out of a side street just in front of the woman. Saturn stood in front of the strange woman with a completely emotionless expression on her young face. She held the Silence Glaive in one hand with its butt end at her feet, the blade pointing forward at a slight angle. Her bearing was serious and threatening and she barred the strange woman's path. The redhead's response to her appearance was confusing to say the least.  
  
"Oh you are just so cute!" She said as she flounced forward.  
  
She bent over at the waist with her hands behind her back, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that she was a mammal. She peered at Saturn from a distance of less than a few centimetres, her large expressive blue eyes blink-blinked adding to the overall impression of innocence.  
  
"That outfit is just darling." She said "Oh I just love the little bows, they look so. so cute! And that little skirt, you're so daring to wear something like that at your age!"  
  
"Excuse me." Saturn said. Her tone was somewhat brisk and embarrassed. Her expression had changed through the redhead's perusal. She now wore a look like she had eaten something sour. "I am Sailor Saturn, a member of the Senshi guarding this world from threats, I need to ask you what your intentions are, and why you cast a ."  
  
"Oh, that's terrible." The redhead said. Tears collected in her eyes as she ignored Saturn's sputtering about being cut off. "It's just not fair. Zeryn said I have to get rid of all the defenders because they keep killing the 'loth he sends." She turned her large sad eyes on Saturn. "Please don't be a defender. I don't like hurting people, especially children, but if you're a defender I have to."  
  
"If you are responsible for the monsters that have recently attacked this world." Saturn said threateningly.  
  
"Oh no, I didn't summon them, Zeryn did. I'm Iria of clan Soren by the way."  
  
She looked around noticing that during her talk with Hotaru, that other Senshi had arrived. She noticed two older women in black skirts, one with yellow bows, and the other with aqua. There was a pretty blonde girl with a familiar hair style in a multi-coloured skirt and large red bows, she had wings. A girl with luxurious long black hair in a red skirt glared menacingly at her from a little to the side of the blonde, and a tall statuesque brunette in a green skirt stood of a little ways from the rest.  
  
"Oh, are all the defenders of this world girls?" she wondered aloud. "Zeryn will be very mad if I kill don't kill them" she said out loud, obviously talking to herself. "But on the other hand if I accidentally kill any of our kind. Oh it's just so confusing!" she pouted. Even her pout was overly cute.  
  
Everyone had heard enough by that point to be certain that this girl was definitely up to no good. Talk of killing the defenders, namely them, erased any pity from everyone but Sailor Moon. The situation had degraded such that the Senshi were simply waiting for Sailor Moon to give the word and they would set about eliminating this threat. They were confused to say the least when Iria began to cry.  
  
"Oceanus they want to hurt me!" she wailed. Her tears streamed down her face. "They're just meanies, I want you to get them all!" she commanded and stomped her foot prettily.  
  
Confused the Senshi may have been, but they were veterans of far too many battles to be caught by surprise by the squid after that. The thing raised it's arms and facial tentacles and wiggled them in the direction of Neptune. She barely managed to dive out of the way before something passed through where she had just been. Whatever the attack was, it was silent, invisible, and caused no collateral damage.  
  
"Look out Mars!" A voice screamed from the rooftops. She didn't question who it was at the moment, she just dived out of the way. She felt a massive wave of psychic energy brush her as she didn't quite clear the attack zone, but her training allowed her to quickly shake off the resultant dizziness.  
  
Uranus ignored the squid. In her opinion it was always better to take out the main problem and deal with the minor ones later. The girl, Iria, had summoned the thing. In Uranus's mind it was perfectly clear who was the bigger threat. She now regretted her earlier hesitation, had she simply attacked when she first saw Iria she might have taken her by surprise.  
  
"Space Sword Blaster!" She screamed. She had no intention of using anything less than her most potent attack. She had no idea how powerful Iria was, but Luna had said it was bad. The amber blade of force leapt from her sword and instantly closed the distance to Iria. She had no time to evade, and no time to defend. The blade bit deep into her side creating a terrible wound.  
  
"Owie!" She screamed prettily. She looked down and he wounded side and sniffed sadly, her tears doubled in quantity. She made an absent motion with her hand then poked the cut on her side. She shrieked again at the pain it caused and looked at Uranus with accusation in her tear filled eyes.  
  
"You didn't have to cut me." She pouted. "I wasn't going to hurt you. You wouldn't have felt a thing. Now I'm not going to be so nice to you anymore." Uranus's next attack impacted on a barrier that she couldn't see. Things were about to get ugly.  
  
The squid took another hit from Mars and still seemed hardly slowed. It showed signs of having been hit by all of the present Senshi save Saturn and Uranus. Despite the burns, and electrical charring, the moderate bruising and its wet and slightly tattered clothing, it still continued its attacks. No one had yet been unlucky enough to be caught by the full force of whatever the invisible attack was, but all of them now had received close calls.  
  
Jupiter was in trouble. The thing seemed fixated on her for the moment. Her electrical attacks seemed to have the greatest effect on it, and it didn't look happy about it. She jumped out of the way as it once again wiggled its tentacles at her and came down hard on her ankle. Her landing was totally off, and she could feel her ankle twist inside her boot. She fell to her knees in pain and the creature again began to wiggle it tentacles.  
  
On a rooftop within view of the battle a short argument was taking place. Four men huddled in the shadows created by the low wall that ran along the buildings edge. Three of the four seemed intent on keeping the last from leaping down and intervening, they weren't having much luck.  
  
"You can't. You heard Mori and Neko. She wouldn't want your help. She'd probably ignore squid face and focus on killing you instead." The short haired blond tried to reason with him.  
  
"I know, but I will not allow her to be hurt or killed. If my sacrifice can save her then so be it. It will have been ordained by the." He was saying before Jupiter's scream of pain from the fall interrupted him. He was at the edge of the building in less time that it took to blink. Only the lightning fast reflexes of his bishonen companion kept him from leaping to Jupiter's aid.  
  
"Think about it." The leader of the group said. "If you go to her now you risk not only your own death, but ours as well. Neko made our instructions clear. Do nothing that would compromise us. If you must interfere do it subtly."  
  
After only the barest of instants the brunette nodded, turned to observe the scene once again, and released a swirling light blue ball of energy. It struck a sign hanging on the side of the building above where Jupiter and the squid battled. The sign was torn loose by the force of the explosion and fell to the street below, right onto the squid.  
  
"Masaka!" Jupiter exclaimed as the sign slammed into her opponent.  
  
Mars arrived a heartbeat later and helped her to her feet. Moon was still extracting herself from the undignified position she had fallen into when the squid had forced her to leap into a dumpster to avoid its attack. Neptune was dashing towards Uranus, who looked troubled, and Saturn stalked purposefully towards the redhead, her Silence Glaive was glowing ominously.  
  
"Thanks Mars. If you hadn't brought that sign down on it I would have been a gonner." Jupiter said.  
  
"I didn't do it Jupiter. I wasn't fast enough, I'm sorry." Mars said worriedly.  
  
"Then who did?"  
  
"I don't know, but the attack came from a rooftop over there." She said pointing in the direction of a clothing boutique on the edge of the current battlefield.  
  
Uranus knew she was in trouble. She had fired at least half a dozen attacks at the shield Iria had erected around herself. They had all been completely ignored. Iria busied herself with healing the wound on her side with a spell. She whimpered in pain as badly at the healing as she had from the attack that had caused it. Uranus glanced around and saw that her companions were still trying to deal with the squid. She watched it ignore another hit from Mars and again attack Jupiter. Iria's voice drew her attention back to her own situation.  
  
"You know," she said sounding like a slightly bratty fourteen year old, "I really didn't appreciate you hurting me like that. That was rude and mean. What did I ever do to you?"  
  
"You are a threat to this world, I will not allow your wanton acts of destruction to continue." Uranus said sounding far more confident than she was.  
  
"And just how do you intend to stop me little mortal?" Uranus immediately got a bad feeling. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as the girl raised her hand and pointed a single finger at her. The invisible barrier around Iria rippled slightly and she began to speak. Uranus knew the barrier was down. The only chance for her to hit Iria would be while she attacked.  
  
"Space Sword Blaster!" she screamed at the same instant that Iria spoke.  
  
"Perrella Logennai." She spoke in a sing song voice.  
  
The amber crescent of energy met a prismatic lance of energy less than a quarter of the way towards Iria. Uranus's attack was obliterated by the multi-hued light and Uranus had no chance to get out of the way. The beam pierced through her shoulder feeling like a sword of pure fire. She howled in agony and fell back away from the beam.  
  
"You see little mortal, your magic is really no match for mine. I would have done my very best to kill you without pain, but you hurt me, and I don't like that."  
  
"You will like this even less then." Saturn said as she stepped in front of Uranus's fallen form. "Silence Glaive Enhance!"  
  
A ripple of power emanated from the tip of the blade of her weapon. The wave slammed downwards around Hotaru and cracked the pavement around her before rolling across the ground in an expanding ring of force.  
  
"Holy shit!" The short haired blond on the roof exclaimed. "That's Sailor Saturn. Mori didn't say anything about her being awake."  
  
"We will do out job regardless." The white haired man replied. He looked at the bishonen and his words carried unmistakeable authority. "If she begins to cast her Death Reborn, take the Glaive from her."  
  
"Hai." The Bishonen replied, knowing he had just been ordered to his death should that event come to pass. He had no fear of dying if it would save Sailor Mercury. Without her in his life there was no real reason to fear anything.  
  
"Where are Mercury and Venus?" The brunette asked. "They should be here by now."  
  
"I can feel them moving this way." The blond replied. "They will be here soon. I just hope its quick enough."  
  
Back on the battlefield below them a staring contest had developed between Sailor Saturn and Iria. Iria could easily sense the incredible power contained in the small girl. It was obvious that if it were all released at once, something she knew the girl was probably capable of, then they attack would be truly monstrous. It would more than likely scour all life off the planet, the two of them included.  
  
"You wouldn't really use something like that big nasty Glaive on pretty little me would you little girl?" Iria asked with big sad eyes.  
  
"In a heartbeat." Saturn replied coldly.  
  
The other Senshi were beginning to form up around them, though none would step in between the two combatants. Moon and Mars helped support Jupiter, keeping her weight off her injured ankle. Neptune cradled the injured Uranus, she also did her best to keep Uranus from again attacking Iria.  
  
Iria cast a look over the Senshi, always keeping the deadly Sailor Saturn in the corner of her vision. She noted the magical fields surrounding them and with a simple act of will penetrated the Glamour hiding their true appearances. A flicker of movement from underneath the fallen sign gave her another option besides temporary retreat.  
  
"Come now, little girl. You really don't want to kill all these people do you? I promise you that we have no interest at all harming the people of earth. They don't matter in the least to us."  
  
"Then why were your monsters killing people?" Moon interrupted with her angry question.  
  
"Well they do so love to kill things. It's the only thing that gives the poor dears and pleasure at all. Besides, it was the best way to draw you out." Iria answered, being careful not to look at her servant that was slowly extracting itself from underneath the sign.  
  
"What do you want with us?" Mars asked angrily.  
  
"With you? Nothing, but a few of you have something Zeryn-chan needs so bad." She simpered. "Zeryn needs some silly crystals to help him bring back our race. We're almost the last of our kind. You wouldn't kill me for trying to save my people would you?" she said looking at Saturn.  
  
"If it places the lives of the people of the earth, or my Princess in jeopardy, yes I would."  
  
"How about we make a deal?" She said suddenly happy.  
  
"What deal?" Moon replied cautiously.  
  
"Well, since of all the people here only you," she said looking at Moon, "have one of the crystals. Maybe you can just give me it and I'll go away. I mean the other crystals I can sense are around here somewhere, but none of you have them. I promise I'll ask the people that have them nicely."  
  
"No deal." Saturn replied.  
  
Jupiter Winced as she let go of Moon and Mars putting her weight on her foot. They would need their mobility again in a moment it seemed. She readied herself for combat as best she could, and silently wished that Mercury and Venus would hurry up. No matter how angry she was at Ami, they needed the power those two now held more than ever.  
  
Mars reached behind her back and withdrew an ofuda. She had little hope that this girl would be affected by it, but it never hurt to try. Besides, she thought she'd had better luck lately with her spiritual powers than her magic.  
  
Moon watched the tense staring contest with worry. She knew that Hotaru wouldn't release her forbidden attack as long as there was hope, but it was hard to believe that when she seemed so serious. If Moon hadn't been wearing elbow length gloves she would have chewed her nails in nervousness. Iria smiled in a not very nice way and whispered something, she vanished.  
  
"Serenity-hime, Look out!" a voice called from the rooftop.  
  
A crushing wave of psychic power smashed into her instantly driving her to the brink of unconsciousness. She was vaguely aware of a shadowy figure taking hold of her and leaping to the roof. In her quickly fading vision she could see four shapes and heard a dimly familiar voice.  
  
"My apologies Serenity-hime. I didn't notice the threat until it was too late. Rest assured that your Senshi are handling the squid."  
  
She made some sound that could have been agreement, or thanks and gave up the fight for awareness.  
  
"That's it. I'm doing something. I won't just sit here and allow Mars to get hurt. The blond said irately. He rocked his shoulders back and clenched his hands. On the street below them several of the many cars parked on the curb started without any apparent reason.  
  
"This is not the answer." The white haired man said in an attempt to regain control of the situation.  
  
"I am sorry," the bishonen said, "for once I agree with him." He gestured at the blond. He quickly spun and after briefly surveying the battlefield, ignited the fuel in the tank of yet another automobile, this one right next to the squid. It was caught in the explosion and thrown twenty metres from its starting point. It had just rolled to its feet then the Toyota hit it at 70 kilometres per hour.  
  
"What in the hell is going on?" Jupiter yelled as the once orderly battlefield descended into total chaos. Moon was gone, taken to the roof by Tuxedo Kamen after she was struck by the squids mind attack. Iria had vanished, but Jupiter doubted that she was actually gone. Saturn had just healed Uranus, and neither seemed completely aware yet. Neptune stood over them like a mother hen guarding her chicks. She and Mars and backed up against one another for protection and the others had yet to arrive.  
  
"I don't know," Rei replied, but I have a bad feeling about all of this. I wish Mercury and Venus would hurry up. I know Venus likes to be fashionably late, but this is ridiculous."  
  
"You called!" Venus yelled from a light pole across the street. "Sorry about being late, but traffic was hell." She said with a quirky grin that could be seen from where Mars stood.  
  
"Yes, we are a bit later than I intended," Mercury spoke from directly above them on her own pole, "sorry about that. Allow me to make up for it though. Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"  
  
The blue streamers of energy swept forward and struck the struggling Squid. It was obviously very hurt by then. It hardly managed to put up any kind of feeble defence against it. The squid was swept backwards into the side of a nearby building and simply lay there.  
  
Venus wasn't about to give it time to recover from its wounds. Before Mars or Jupiter could even begin to gather their powers to attack she hit it with a powerful wave of her own energy.  
  
"Rolling Heart Vibration!"  
  
The squid never stood a chance. It had been battered, burned, blasted, electrified, cut, and even ran over with a car. Venus's attack was simply the last straw. It dissipated like mist and vanished under the force of her power. Mina was still grinning at her success what the prismatic beam of force blew her off the light pole and knocked her several blocks down the street.  
  
"You bitch!" Iria screamed. As she once again became visible. She stalked towards the fallen and groaning Sailor Venus. "You killed my Oceanus-chan. I've had him ever since he was a tadpole. Do you have any idea how mad that makes me!" She screamed.  
  
Mars and Jupiter each launched their attacks towards the redhead. They combined in mid flight into something far greater than the sum of its parts. The red lightning bolt burned into Iria's back and she once again screamed in pain and rage. Less than a second later Neptune and Uranus's attacks impacted her throwing her across the street and into a wall, which promptly collapsed on her.  
  
"Mercury, check on Venus." Uranus commanded as she finally finished getting back to her feet. Saturn simply glared at the pile of stone. It was obvious to her that Iria was far from finished.  
  
Mercury leapt across the massive distance separating her and Sailor Venus. She landed neatly at her side and quickly began checking her injuries. Venus was in bad shape. She looked only moderately injured. A few large bruises and a bit of cranial bleeding from where she had hit the ground so hard, but the scanners told a different story.  
  
Venus was obviously dying. She had so little life energy in her body it was amazing that she was still breathing. Ever since she had healed Mori it seemed that she just couldn't fight like she used to. She needed to get Venus out of here and back to Mori in a hurry. She had almost teleported the two of them using her butterfly charm when the fallen wall exploded.  
  
"You!" Iria screamed enraged as she glared pure death at the outer Senshi. A wave of her hand and a guttural incantation knocked everyone within forty metres to the ground. "I'll deal with you in a moment. You two on the other hand killed my pet. You die now. Perrella Logennai!"  
  
There was no time to complete the teleportation. Ami readied herself to try to shield Mina with her own body when the blue dome surrounded the two of them. The multi-coloured lance of force struck the shield, and the shield shuddered with the impact. The hemisphere began to shrink as it lost the battle for dominancy with the beam but it held out just long enough for the car Iria never saw or heard to hit her. The beam and the shield cut off at the exact same instant.  
  
Iria was hurt, she was more wounded that she had ever been. These mortals were far more powerful than the stupid 'loth had led her to believe. Knowing that Zeryn would be mad at her for failing so utterly she teleported away, but not before she learned something important. The girl she needed was named Usagi, she was the key.  
  
"Are you okay?" The bishonen asked his leader.  
  
"I will be fine with a bit of rest. The woman's spell was far stronger than anything I have even encountered before. It would have overcome my shield had it not been for your timely intervention." His last words were directed at the blond.  
  
"Your welcome. I suggest we get out of here before the Senshi come looking for the Princess. You know Mori and Neko's orders about that." There was general fierce nodding and the four men teleported away. Seconds later Mars leapt to the roof where Moon lay, she was startled by the lack of Tuxedo Kamen's presence, but something else caught her eye. Still falling in the fading light of the sunset was a handful of Sakura. Something about them struck a deep familiar cord of fear within her.  
  
"Minna I have to get Venus back to Mori. He may be the only one who can save her. Everyone head to their apartment." Mercury yelled.  
  
"Wait Mercury." Saturn yelled as the little girl actually sprinted over to her. "Take me with you, I know something He needs to learn, it might make the difference between life and." Mercury teleported the three of them and Saturn's statement was finished in the dojo of the Primarchs apartment ".death."  
  
"Neko! Mori!" Ami yelled as she pounded on the door to their warded training room that they used when they were feeling too destructive for the real world. It was one of only two places she couldn't teleport into. If she showed up in the dojo and Neko wasn't here that was where he was.  
  
The door jerked open and a tired grinning Neko pulled her into his arms. He was sweaty, showing just how hard they had been working, and he tried to kiss her. He was very surprised what she slapped him away and screamed for Mori.  
  
"What's wrong Sprite?" Neko asked. When his eyes fell upon Mina's downed form, and a very concerned looking Sailor Saturn he dashed back into the subspace room and pulled Mori out behind him a half of a second later.  
  
"Mina-chan!" Mori yelled.  
  
He crossed the space to her faster than anyone's eyes could track. With one touch her knew just how bad off she was. Her life was hanging by a fraying thread. His aura blazed to terrible life, as he thought of the vengeance he would extract on the person responsible for her injuries and exhaustion.  
  
"Mori-san, listen to me." Hotaru began. He didn't seem to hear her. "Mori-san, this is important." He still didn't appear to notice her. "Mori!" she screamed and smacked him across the face.  
  
Neko winced at the action and quickly stepped between Mori and Ami. The fallout from what Hotaru had just done could easily lay waste to a decent portion of Juuban. For an instant Mori seemed to struggle with himself, before he regained control, his aura withdrew into him, and all motion stopped.  
  
""What Hotaru-chan?" He asked. His voice nearly cracked with the strain of not exploding into a rage.  
  
"I know a way for you to save her quickly, Mordred showed me, but you have to be the one to do it."  
  
"I know what I need to do, Hotaru-chan. I can easily imagine Mordred showing you that."  
  
Hotaru fought hard not to blush or yell at him. She understood how he could have jumped to the wrong conclusion but it didn't help the current situation.  
  
"No Mori," she said, "sex is too slow to save her now. Mordred knows another way to transfer power. He has been using it on me ever since the battle. He said its much slower to build my maximum tolerance, but can easily and instantly re-energize someone that has been drained to as much as they can hold."  
  
Mori stared at the girl in awe and wonder. She held the answer to all of his needs. If he could get Mina back up to the point that she was at before she healed him, then no amount of these little battles would drain her.  
  
"Tell me." He said simply.  
  
"I can't tell you, but I can show you if you link your mind with mine."  
  
Mori didn't hesitate. He linked as quickly as he could. Hotaru's mind was far more orderly than he would have expected from a little girl. Instead of having to blunder around learning all manner of unimportant and time wasting information, Hotaru consciously led him to the right memory. Within less than a second of the link beginning Mori had shut it down and sprinted towards his room carrying Mina gently in his arms.  
  
********  
  
The other Senshi arrived Minutes later. They came by way of the balcony on Mori's side of the apartment. When the group of five young women arrived they could see a low golden glow through the bamboo blinds on the sliding door.  
  
"Should we just go in?" Usagi asked. "It looks like Mori is in there."  
  
"Hold on." Makoto said. "I've walked in on those two before, let me check and see if they're decent first."  
  
Makoto pulled open the door a crack and looked in. She quickly saw that though Mori was decent, Mina lay nude on the bed her Senshi fuku no when in evidence. The glow came from Mori slowly tracing his hands over her. Makoto could see that Mina was still unconscious and could feel the energy pouring from Mori's hands into Mina from the doorway. She pulled the door closed and faced her friends.  
  
"Well, Mori's decent, but he's healing Mina, you don't want to go in there."  
  
"He's healing her?" Usagi said happily. "Oh good I was so worried about Mina-chan. Why wouldn't I want to go in while he's healing her."  
  
"Trust me, you just don't want to."  
  
"~It's ok Makoto~" Mori's voice spoke into her mind. "~I have Mina covered now.~"  
  
"Oh correction, Mori says come in."  
  
"I didn't hear anything." Haruka remarked as Makoto pulled open the door.  
  
Mori sat on the bed next to Mina, who was covered up to her chin by a golden silk sheet. She was still asleep, but they could tell she was beginning to come around. Usagi quickly knelt down next to the bed and put her hand on Mina's forehead.  
  
"Poor Mina-chan, she's just been so tired lately."  
  
"I think I have that fixed now Usagi. She should be ok from now on." Mori replied.  
  
"Really?" Usagi asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh thank you!" Usagi cheered. She pulled Mori into a hug and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Hey Usagi, that's my boyfriend you're kissing. Get your own." Mina said weakly from in between the hugging pair.  
  
"Mina!" Usagi squealed and gave her friend a tight hug.  
  
Once Usagi let go Mina look at Mori strangely. She had a funny little half smile on her face, and a devious glint in her eyes. She smirked at Mori, and he knew he was in trouble somehow.  
  
"You know Mori, usually when I'm naked in your bed we don't have company. Is there something you wanted to tell me about?" Usagi turned redder than she had ever been. Makoto and Michiru were almost as bad. Uranus laughed so heard she fell down. Rei on the other hand looked sad.  
  
"Oh you know me Mina-chan." Mori said in a truly wicked tone. "I've always wondered what rabbit tasted like. And the rest just couldn't resist a party, eh Rei-san?"  
  
Haruka was now laughing so hard at Makoto, Michiru and Usagi's expressions that she was crying. Usagi was simply beyond words. Her face had reddened so much that she was very much in danger of passing out. Rei collapsed on the end of bed in shock, earning a comically raised eyebrow and a suggestive wink from Mori, which sent Makoto fleeing the room.  
  
"See, I told you Rei wanted to join in." Mori said smugly.  
  
Rei's mouth was working like a fish out of water. She didn't think this joke was funny at all. She knew there was something she should be saying, but couldn't for the life of her remember what it was. When he leaned over Usagi's fallen form to kiss Mina, consequently pressing a very mortified princess between their bodies, the correct word clicked into Rei's mind.  
  
"Hentai!" she screamed at the top of her lungs and quickly began to strangle Mori in her embarrassment. Of course in her violence she neglected to realise that by strangling him she also ended up in the pile of people. By the time she realised her mistake she was half laying on Usagi with her arms around her choking a grinning Mori.  
  
"Ara!" Michiru said and slumped to the ground next to Haruka.  
  
"You said it." Haruka agreed once she got her laughing under control. "Where's a video camera when you need one. The look on Rei's face is priceless.  
  
The mortified Miko and her princess quickly disentangled themselves from the knot of people and darted across the room to stand in the corners, as far from each other and everyone else as they could.  
  
"Mori can you get me some clothes." Mina asked with a smile. "I think we've had enough fun embarrassing the others."  
  
"Okay Mina-chan."  
  
"By the way Mina-chan have I told you how much I love you lately? There aren't very many girls that could hear their boyfriend say something like that without getting angry." The other girls nodded in agreement, especially Usagi.  
  
"I can because I know you love me." Mina said with absolute confidence. "Besides, what makes you think I'm not curious about what rabbit tastes like?" Her comment returned Haruka to her laughter and nearly had Usagi leaping back out the door.  
  
A few minutes later the eight girls had gathered in the front room. Rei, Usagi, and Makoto took up one couch while Haruka and Michiru claimed the loveseat. Mori and Neko each sat in their favourite chairs, while Mina and Ami sat in their respective boyfriends' laps. Only Hotaru sat alone, she half lay on one of the beanbag chairs.  
  
"So did anyone think to tell Setsuna and the cats?" Haruka asked.  
  
"I notified the cats." Neko said. "I even asked them to bring Mamoru. Something has recently come to light that has a bearing on his situation."  
  
Usagi looked wide eyed and hopeful at Neko's words. She prayed that he would have something to prove Mamoru innocent of cheating on her.  
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Makoto asked throwing a covert glance at Usagi.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Not long after the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of Mamoru and the cats, before they even became situated Setsuna teleported into the room. Everyone stopped and stared. This was the first time the full group had gathered since the battle. Setsuna declined the invitation of a chair and awaited the discussion. She wore a slightly haughty look, and stared down any of the Senshi that dared to meet her gaze.  
  
"Who wants to start this?" Mori asked.  
  
"I will." Hotaru replied.  
  
"I was in my room with Mordred when he suddenly looked up at me and stated that there would be a monster summoned in the park in a few minutes. I know better than to question a statement like that so I went looking for the rest of the Outers. They of course weren't home so I transformed and headed out on my own. I was halfway there when the call came." She paused and looked around at the rest of the Senshi before continuing.  
  
"Once I neared the Park I saw an unusually dressed redhead escorting a squid headed humanoid. I attempted to ascertain her intentions and through her words it became obvious that she had summoned the monster, and that she worked for the person responsible for the other monsters, which she referred to collectively as ''loth'." She noticed that she had Mori and Neko's full attention, and the looked far from happy.  
  
"The woman who then informed us that her name was Iria of clan Soren apparently read our intention to attack from our minds and ordered her monster to attack." Hotaru halted her explanation with that.  
  
"Iria of clan Soren?" Neko asked with deadly iciness in his voice.  
  
"That is correct."  
  
"Hotaru-chan?" Mina asked.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You sound creepy when you get in a serious mood, do you know that?"  
  
"I do now." She said with an infinitesimal smile  
  
Haruka now took up the description. It was clear that she had had the most direct interaction with Iria.  
  
"She was fast, but no where near as fast as I've seen any of you four move." She said indicating Ami, Mina and the Primarchs. "She summoned some sort of shield, but before it was up I hurt her pretty severely with the Space Sword." Mori nodded at that. He knew just how powerful that attack was. Even Neko would feel something like that.  
  
"She healed herself somehow once her shield was up, then she got angry. She hit me with some kind of magic I've never seen before. It was a beam or rainbow coloured light. She said something to make it happen, but I don't know what it was. It sounded a lot like your language to me."  
  
"It was Aleph." Ami said with authority. "I heard her cast the same spell on Mina. She chanted the words Perrella Logennai, and the spell manifested itself as a."  
  
"Fourteen centimetre thick beam of prismatic light," Neko interrupted. "It possessed both raw kinetic and cutting force. It should have burned through any defences you tried to put in its way. The spell translates to Prism Lance. It was made by one of Mori's students about a quarter billion years ago. Trust me it's a nasty piece of work."  
  
"Yea what he said." Haruka muttered.  
  
"Someone helped us out in the battle." Makoto said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Setsuna asked. She may have been taken out of action by her condition, but that didn't mean she couldn't help with the analysis. She had ten thousand years of experience and a tremendous amount of knowledge the other scouts couldn't even begin to touch.  
  
"Well, first I landed wrong and twisted my ankle pretty bad. The squid thing was about to let me have it with its tentacle waving but someone blew a sign off a building and smashed it." She smiled at the memory.  
  
"Wait, the squid thing, did it look like this?" Mori asked before conjuring a very realistic Illusion of the creature.  
  
"Yes." The girls all quickly agreed.  
  
Mori and Neko shared a very disgusted look before returning their attention to the girls.  
  
"Illithid." They said in unison.  
  
"What's an Illithid?" Usagi asked.  
  
"The squid thing." Neko said with a sour expression. They aren't very fast, and they sure as hell aren't pretty, but they're resistant as all hell to most forms of magic, and they have some nasty psychic abilities."  
  
"That definitely describes the squid." Rei said flatly.  
  
"I'll assume the sign didn't kill the Illithid. They don't really have any bones, just cartilage, it wouldn't have been too severely damaged by that." Mori added.  
  
"No it lived, it even managed to use the distraction Iria gave to take Usagi out of the battle. We finally killed it though." Makoto said.  
  
"OK did anything else unusual happen?" Setsuna asked. This battle review was too disorganized to be of much use.  
  
"Well," Rei said, "there was someone dressed like Tuxedo Kamen that showed up and took Usagi out of danger after the Illithid knocked her out, and then there were the cars that started moving around on their own that ran over Iria and the Illithid."  
  
"Do not forget the energy dome that protected Ami and Mina when Iria attempted to finish them off." Michiru spoke for the first time.  
  
"This is very strange." Setsuna said. Those actions sounded suspiciously familiar. She could only think of one group of people that had powers capable of that, but they were all very dead. The Senshi had seen to that personally.  
  
"I wasn't at the battle." Mamoru spoke. "I don't know who was dressed as me, but I never even felt Usagi in danger."  
  
"I wonder why that is?" Setsuna said obviously perplexed.  
  
"I can offer a guess." Ami said.  
  
"Oh, do tell?"  
  
"The rift that has formed between Mamoru and Usagi might be affecting their bond."  
  
"It never has before." Setsuna said. Mamoru flinched at the reminder of his previous behaviour.  
  
"True, but I would be willing to venture that this instance is far more severe."  
  
"Can you not talk about me as if I weren't in the room?" Mamoru growled. "You know forget that. I'll just leave since the meeting is obviously over." Mamoru stood and prepared to leave when Neko interrupted him.  
  
"Sit down Mamoru."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said sit down." There was no question that it was a command.  
  
Mamoru's face reddened with anger. In the last month his life had gone to hell. He had been beat on several times, lost the woman he loved, been told he was the father to a baby of a woman he had never touched, and even his friends were treating him like he had the plague. As far as he was concerned it was all the fault of these Primarchs. He didn't know how they had managed to worm their way into the Senshi's trust, but he was done taking any of their crap.  
  
"Just who the hell do you think you are?" Mamoru shouted. "I will not take orders from some thing. I was defending the Senshi long before you came along, and I'll defend them after they realize what you truly are and destroy you. I don't know how you've managed to get them to trust you, but you can't fool me I know what you are." He said coldly. "No matter how human you make yourself look I will always know the truth. You're nothing but monsters that need to be destroyed." He spat. "I will never take orders from something like you!" Mamoru made it less than a step towards the door before he found himself floating out of reach of the floor walls or anything else he might have used to manoeuvre.  
  
"Monster?" Neko asked mildly.  
  
Ami shivered at the tone Neko used. It was far too pleasant for what he had to be feeling. She was fairly sure that Neko wouldn't take backtalk from a human very well. Mamoru had to know that. Why in the name of the Kami he was trying to provoke Neko was completely beyond her.  
  
"I think I like that term for me." Neko said still with a smile on his face. "You see, in the time I've been awake, I've done quite a bit of research into the human languages. I find the term monster to be rather enlightening really. Do you know what it means? Probably not really." He casually floated off the ground to hover a few feet away from Mamoru. "The word monster, which you use as an insult, means something not human. That part is obvious, but the part you seem to miss is that it means something that treats humans like humans treat everything else. Think of the things your people call monsters. Oni, yoma, aliens, wild animals, or anything else that humans can't exploit, you think it's a crime for anything but a human to defend itself. If the creature is bigger or stronger, or in our case has more power than you, then it must be destroyed. It's stupidity like that, which puts your specie in such danger." He smiled at Mamoru, who had a sick look of comprehension on his face.  
  
"Here's another thought, Mamoru. Your friends and advisors, the Mau, would be considered monsters by most. Why, you ask yourself? Because they can think, they can talk, they can communicate, your pathetic little specie is of the opinion that you are the greatest creations of the Kami, and anything that doesn't conform to your idea of what is, must be destroyed." Mamoru looked truly ill now, but Neko wasn't quite done. "Lastly you believe that being human makes you inherently better, that nothing anything else could do or say should compete with your own whims, but you forget one tiny detail. The woman you so profess to love isn't human. She's like I am, a thing to you, a monster, something that should be destroyed, according to your own words. I hope that makes you feel proud."  
  
Neko teleported back to his chair and resituated Ami onto his lap before abruptly cancelling the levitation spell he had placed on Mamoru. Mamoru, who was far too busy realizing the magnitude of his errors to be prepared for it, fell heavily to the floor.  
  
Mamoru looked up directly into the tear filled eyes of Usagi, and knew true regret. His words were hasty and brought on by rage, but Neko was quite right about the way most people thought. He needed a way to prove to Usagi that he had not meant anything against her when he had called the Ulterran monsters. With this mistake added to the rest of his problems, Mamoru felt like going back to his apartment and drinking a gallon or so of drain cleaner.  
  
The room was silent. The Senshi sat contemplating the discussion that had just transpired. Never before had anyone other than Usagi looked at it from that point of view. Most people thought she was simply soft hearted and overly trusting, the truth was she tried her best to look at things from the perspective of her opponents. Like with An and Al, they had been misinformed, their actions were horrible, but were humans any better? They had preyed upon the life energy of their victims, feeding it to their tree so that they could survive, whereas humans fed upon the bodies of plants and animals absorbing the life energy indirectly. It all led back to the same thing.  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick." Makoto said as the implications of all of that hit her.  
  
"Try not to take it so hard, minna." Mori said. "It's not your fault you do what you do, and trust me you come by your arrogance honestly. The Ulterran were the most arrogant creatures the universe has ever seen. You have nothing on your ancestors, remember that."  
  
"May I go?" Mamoru asked sounding somewhat polite.  
  
"If you want to," Neko said, "but if you do you'll miss something you will personally find very enlightening." He grinned at the dumbfounded expression on Mamoru's face. "Mori, I think its time we got our oldest cousin's attention."  
  
"Oh you are so right." Mori agreed with an evil grin.  
  
Mori and Neko began to chant together in Aleph, after a few seconds the air began to ripple and Lor appeared looking shocked. He whipped around to glare at Mori and Neko, who only waved and continued with their evil grins.  
  
"Sorry about the summoning." Mori said sounding anything but sorry. "But you see, we know what happened now, and you really need to be here for this."  
  
Lor looked at the perplexed expressions on the faces of the Senshi and Mamoru, and sighed with resignation. There was no way for him to escape when both Mori and Neko were working together.  
  
"Fine, lets get this over with. I was busy at the onsen when I felt the pulling."  
  
"Why would that matter?" Haruka asked with irritation. "You can bathe any time."  
  
"True, but there is a cute little brunette there right now, and unlike you all she does not know that I am really a guy." The Senshi growled with disgust at his flagrant perversion.  
  
"Any time now, Lor." Mori said glaring at the taller man.  
  
"Fine," he said with resignation, "it is really quite simple and I have no idea why you have not figured it out already. Though Endymion is the father of Setsuna's child, he never touched her."  
  
"I've said that all along." Mamoru muttered. Setsuna simply sat there with a stony expression.  
  
"It continually amazes me how many problems could be sorted out, or simply avoided if you people would simply swallow your pride and talk to one another. Setsuna knew that Mamoru and she were not lovers, but did any of you ever ask her? No, you people felt you had no need, the evidence was all there in front of you. Setsuna could have spoke up on her own, but did she? No, she felt that you should have trusted her." He looked at Setsuna and sighed. "Oh do get that disgusted look of your face, I know what you are thinking ten minutes before you do. I have been with you for your entire tenure as Sailor Pluto after all."  
  
"The truth is," he continued, "I am the one that impregnated Setsuna." That admission got the full attention of everyone in the room. Setsuna looked at him in complete disbelief. "No, I am not the child's biological father, but I am the one that caused its conception. It is rather simple. I can not have children to the best of my knowledge. Setsuna has always wanted a child. So I granted her deepest wish. She now has a part of Endymion all to herself."  
  
Usagi glared daggers, at Lor. The Senshi, especially Mina looked ready to kill. Setsuna's expression was complete disbelief mixed with blind hatred, and incongruently, wonder. Mamoru had already transformed, not to Tuxedo Kamen, but to Prince Endymion, and he was eyeing his sword dangerously. The entire situation was so tense it was a wonder the magic had not already started to fly. The sound of laughter, cold and mocking cut through the tension nicely.  
  
"Oh that's cruel." Mori said still trying to suppress his mirth.  
  
"You." Setsuna said to Lor coldly. "I have guarded the Time Gates for ten thousand years, by what right do you..."  
  
"Excuse me." Neko stated calmly interrupting Setsuna's building and very well justified rant. "But I have to know something. You said you spent ten thousand years guarding the Time Gates. Now just to make sure we're all on the same page here lets clarify that. By the Time Gates you mean A large white marble looking doorway, it's in a shadowy misty place with nothing else, and has some probably indecipherable, to you, runes carved into it, is that right?"  
  
"Yes, but I hardly see."  
  
"These gates?" Neko snapped his fingers and the Time Gates instantly materialized in the room next to him. He ignored the gasps of shock from the Senshi. "Am I correct Setsuna? Are these the gates?"  
  
"How. where." Setsuna sputtered.  
  
"Let's play a little game Setsuna." Neko said with a demonic grin. "You like games don't you?" He walked to the other side of the Time Gates from Setsuna and knocked gently on the carved wooden door that barred the portal. "Knock knock." He said still smiling.  
  
Setsuna glared at him, she had no idea how he had moved the Gates here, but there was no doubt in her mind that these were them.  
  
"Come on Setsuna, the game isn't any fun if you don't play. Knock knock." He repeated.  
  
"Who's there." She growled. She didn't know where he had learned of this juvenile American joke, but she had a bad feeling about what was happening.  
  
"Yura." He supplied.  
  
"Yura who?" Setsuna was not happy, she knew this was going to be bad.  
  
"You're a moron for guarding a stupid door for ten thousand years." Neko said. "Let me ask you a question Setsuna. When you send someone through the 'Time Gates' do they come out the other side? Do they appear backwards or forwards at the 'Gates" themselves, or elsewhere? Can anyone time travel without going through your ever so important 'Gates'?" He glared at her when he said that. "The gates are a door, Setsuna. You of all people should know that. If you stood in their presence for that long, how in the name of the Kami did you not notice that the magic you used came from the staff? Were you able to use the door without the staff? No."  
  
"But what about Chibi-Usa?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Chibi-Usa?" Neko looked at her in confusion. It took several seconds for the appropriate memories he had gleaned from Ami and Makoto to surface. "Oh that's easy, the stupid key only worked when Setsuna allowed it to right? It didn't control the gates, it just allowed Setsuna here to know where you were to bring you to them and send you on your way. Chibi- Usa no more snuck past her, than you did."  
  
"But."  
  
"Trust me Usagi-chan."  
  
Usagi looked around the room seeing total disbelief etched into the faces of her Senshi. Only Ami and Mina seemed to believe Neko. Lor and Mori on the other hand looked at the disbelieving Senshi with humour. It was obvious that they believed Neko, and for some odd reason, so did she.  
  
"I believe you." Usagi said in a small voice, eliciting a gasp from most of the Senshi.  
  
"The 'Gates' were a gift to Kronos." Lor said. "I, and anyone able to cast the appropriate magic, can time travel without a medium like that, but I knew that Kronos's line would soon lose their powers. In order to utilize the Garnet Orb his descendents would need a host for its power. Any archway would have worked, but the 'Gates' have one unique special power. They can be called to you."  
  
"It took me a few days to create a large enough subspace pocket to put it in, and the summoning method was only known by myself, Kronos and the other Primarchs. He was supposed to teach his children, but obviously somewhere along the line someone made an error." His grin was wry.  
  
"You see Setsuna, do you understand what that means?" Neko spoke. "You spent ten thousand years, standing alone in something like what you keep you henshin rods in, for no reason other than your ancestors screwed up. You'll excuse me if I don't find your dedication to that particular duty as anything more than a sick joke."  
  
Setsuna stood in the room, experiencing nothing but a desire to disbelieve what she had learned. Her entire life had been a lie. She had wasted ten thousand years guarding something that was completely worthless. Nothing could have prepared her for the betrayal she felt. Setsuna fell to the ground in tears.  
  
"All that time, wasted." she wailed. She looked up at Lor, the being that had created the Gates, the being that had given her ancestor the Garnet Orb, and as far as she was concerned, the architect of her pain. "Why?" she asked between sobs. "Why would you do something like this? What have I ever done to deserve this pain?"  
  
"I did not cause your pain, Setsa-chan." Lor said gently as he bent down to brush her tears away. She flinched away from the touch of his hand and raised her eyes to him. "I gave you what you always wanted. We both know how rarely it is that someone gets their hearts desire, and nothing is ever as beautiful in reality as it is in our imaginations."  
  
"No wonder Setsuna is happier in Crystal Tokyo, she doesn't have to waste her life separated from everyone and everything she cares about. Thank you for telling her Neko, now Setsuna can be with her friends." Usagi responded  
  
"Um, not to be picky or anything, but can we get back to Lor getting Setsuna pregnant." Haruka said. She didn't sound happy at all.  
  
"Hey, yea, that wasn't very nice. No matter why you did it. Why did you let us blame poor Mamo-chan?"  
  
"Is it my fault you jumped to conclusions?" Lor asked.  
  
"You had the duty to take responsibility for your actions." Hotaru said in a chilly tone.  
  
Lor just shrugged. He really didn't care what the mortals thought about him.  
  
"Ohhh, that makes me so mad. I'm glad no one will ever do anything like that once I become queen of Crystal Tokyo." Usagi said with an injured tone. "I'm sorry for blaming you Mamo-chan."  
  
"It's okay Usako." Mamoru crossed the room and did something he had missed more than anything, he took Usagi into his arms.  
  
"Um, not to interrupt this oh so touching scene, but something you just said sent a chill down my spine." Neko said cautiously. "Why will 'no one ever do that' once you 'become queen of Crystal Tokyo'?" he asked.  
  
"Because, everyone will be good and nice."  
  
"Riiight, you'd like to think so." Neko replied.  
  
"But they will," Usagi pleaded. "I'm going to cleanse all the evil out of everyone so everybody will be good and happy and nice."  
  
The room went so silent you could have heard a pin drop in Beijing. Neko looked at Usagi with a horrified expression as the implications of her plan hit him. All colour drained out of his face as he looked at the little princess.  
  
"This is not a good thing." Mori said softly.  
  
"Usagi," asked in a strangled tone, "just how pray tell are you planning to achieve this oh so noble goal?"  
  
"With the Crystal, I know I can do it because when I went to the future, everything that wasn't broken by the war was beautiful and nice. Even the Black Moon family said I did a good job cleansing everyone that didn't choose exile instead."  
  
"Exile? You mean everyone that doesn't get 'cleansed' will be exiled off the planet?" Neko asked, his horror growing by the second.  
  
"Well I don't really want to, but I guess it's the only way to protect the people that got cleansed from the bad people." Usagi said with a frown.  
  
"Usagi, would you come here?" He asked with a high tight voice.  
  
Usagi scrunched her face up cutely and nodded. She walked over to Neko wondering what he needed her for.  
  
"Okay, what do you need?" she asked once she was standing in front of him.  
  
"Right, just stand there a second. Don't move." His right arm was surrounded with a bright silver light. An answering glow surrounded Usagi and an instant later the Silver Crystal appeared in his hand.  
  
"Hey!" Usagi yelled.  
  
"I'll take that, thank you."  
  
"But, that's my Crystal."  
  
"Oh no little bunny, do you remember who made it? It's my crystal, and you just told me you were planning to abuse its powers."  
  
The rest of the Senshi were already on their feet and had transformed, they were ready to attack. Hotaru had the Silence Glaive glowing with power, and Rei had produced something that had disappeared after their battle. She had the Moon Sword. Of course it was worthless against him, but Mori was taking every precaution against it.  
  
"Return the crystal to Usagi." Hotaru said in her unemotional Sailor Saturn threatening voice.  
  
"No, you can do your best to kill me for it, but the only thing you could possibly do is piss me off. Mordred isn't here to restrain me, and I can guarantee you that every Primarch agrees with this decision. Usagi, I was more than happy to allow you to continue using the Crystal, until you told me what you truly intend. What you plan on doing is disgusting. It's nothing short of rape. There is only one thing that separates you from ants, Free Will. Your idea would rob all humanity of the ability to choose between right and wrong. The balance of the universe would be seriously disturbed and you don't even want to imagine what that would cause." He shuddered at the thought.  
  
"Mordred has only two jobs. Two reasons for him to wield power beyond anything even we," he said obviously meaning the rest of the Primarchs, "can truly imagine. His most notable job will be to herald the end of the Universe. He is the being that will return everything to the primordial darkness. He has another job however. He is the judge, jury and executioner of imbalances. If he were to sense something like the abomination you plan to perpetrate, he would wipe the human race off of the cosmos in an instant. There is nothing you could say to prevent that. You have just shown me beyond the shadow of a doubt that you and the specie you protect are far too immature to control the power of this Crystal." Neko shook his head in disgust.  
  
Hotaru thought back to the discussion Mordred had had with her and her guardians following the battle. He had warned them what would happen if Neko learned of the plans for Crystal Tokyo, of course he was correct. Hotaru knew for certain that Neko was not lying about Mordred's responsibilities, if anything he might have underplayed them. She returned the Silence Glaive to a resting position, she would not be a party to attacking Neko and dooming the human race to extinction.  
  
Haruka also clearly remembered Mordred's warning. She shivered at the implications of Neko's words. Usagi would have unknowingly doomed the entire race to oblivion. She had difficulty understanding one thing though. She knew, not believed, knew that Crystal Tokyo would happen, but how could it come to pass without the Queen wielding the Sliver Crystal? She noticed Hotaru stand down from attack position and copied her. Without Sailor Saturn involved they had no chance at all of defeating Neko.  
  
Michiru watched the emotions playing over Haruka's face out of the corner of her eye. She would never tell her lover it, but her face was easy to read. She knew exactly what Haruka was thinking about, the same things troubled her. She had listened carefully to Mordred, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt he would erase humanity, and not even feel the smallest pang of regret. He would simply be doing his job. Neko was also doing his. She found it difficult, almost impossible in fact, to fault his actions. She herself had been troubled by the plans Usagi had for the founding of her kingdom. Still she owed her Princess all of her loyalty. She hardly restrained herself from crying out in shock when Haruka stepped back, when she finally noticed that Hotaru had also withdrawn she knew they had lost this battle. Michiru joined her fellow Outers.  
  
Setsuna was the only Senshi not to power up. Lor's gaze held her fast. She beyond anyone had worked the hardest towards Crystal Tokyo, she would not give up the dream she had fought so long for. Yet she couldn't seem to do anything while Lor looked at her. She was shocked when his voice slipped quietly into her mind.  
  
"~Do not even think about trying to intervene Meiou Setsuna. I will not have you throw away not only your own life, but the life of the unborn child you carry within you. I have withdrawn my support from your use of the Orb for now. It will not respond to your call.~"  
  
With those words it was over for her. She had no offensive powers without the Garnet Rod, and all of its powers apparently came from the Orb. She was helpless now. Setsuna lowered her head and began to weep once more.  
  
Of the four Inner Senshi only Rei was truly ready for combat. Mina stood staring imploringly at Mori, Ami hadn't even transformed, and Makoto, though in Senshi form, seemed highly reluctant. Rei on the other hand held the Moon Sword, and had no qualms about using it on Neko. Almost every enemy they had encountered had eventually gotten around to trying to take the Silver Crystal. None had succeeded yet, and as long as she still drew breath they never would.  
  
She knew that Usagi's idea edged very close to mind control, but Usagi was the Princess. Whatever she needed to do to assure peace and tranquillity in the kingdom, and for the human race in general, Rei would support. If people needed morality poured into them, how was that any different than punishing people for committing evil acts? At least with Usagi's way no one would be harmed. The evil acts that would otherwise bring punishment down upon the perpetrator would never be committed, sparing both the innocent victim, and redeeming the criminal all without either ever having known.  
  
She was shocked when first Hotaru, then Haruka and Michiru backed down. When Setsuna put her head in her hands and began to cry, Rei became scared. Ami and Mina obviously noticed the Outers surrender and simply sat back down in their chairs. Only she and Mamoru, with Makoto being marginal, stood with Usagi.  
  
"How can I help people without the Crystal?" Usagi said softly, tears ran freely down her face.  
  
"I will give you something to replace what I have taken, Usagi-chan." He said gently. "But I can not allow you to do what you were planning. The repercussions are too severe."  
  
"But I've seen the future! I know what it will be! Crystal Tokyo has to happen." She cried.  
  
"No." Lor said in the iciest tone anyone had ever heard. Hotaru's threats against Galaxia and Nehelenia sounded like a kitten purring compared to this. "What you saw was a paradox. Crystal Tokyo can't happen unless her daughter from the future comes to the past. She was needed to allow Mistress Nine to completely assume control of Hotaru, and she was the one that gave Hotaru the will to regain control. She was the being that forged the mental connection to the imprisoned Elios, allowing you to achieve your current power. She could not exist without the events that her own actions caused coming to pass. Her presence in this time also gave you the assurance you needed to persevere despite the horrific odds you faced. You knew deep in your hearts that you must win, because the proof of your victory was there with you all the time. That is true paradox. I am the true guardian of time. Setsuna stood nominally in my place for an eon, but she succumbed to the pressure and manipulated events to her own liking. I can guarantee you that Crystal Tokyo as you know it will not exist."  
  
"No!" Usagi cried. Something miraculous happened. Without the Crystal, without having transformed, using only the power that she held within herself, Usagi became Princess Serenity. She pulled with all of her will at the Crystal she had pinned all her hopes and dreams on through her many trials. It was hers by right, he mother had given it to her. It was her salvation, her very life. She commanded it to come to her.  
  
The Crystal sat like a lump in Neko's palm. He went so far as to open his hand to show its total lack of response to her plea. Tsukino Usagi, Princess Serenity, the young woman who would have one day been Neo Queen Serenity, had lost. She collapsed to the ground once again Usagi and simply stared at Neko with hurt accusation in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry Usagi-chan, but I can't allow you to destroy humanity, and that is what you would do."  
  
Neko looked at Mori and Lor. They seemed to communicate quickly and wordlessly amongst each other. An instant later Mordred appeared in the room and the four of them began to chant softly. No two of them spoke the same words, or even at the same speed, but the sound seemed to blend together perfectly. A point of light appeared in Neko's other hand. The Senshi could feel a slight pull, like what they felt when Usagi needed them. For several minutes the Primarchs continued to chant, while the pull on the other Senshi grew ever stronger. Only Mamoru was unaffected, he didn't even realise that something extraordinary was occurring, he was completely occupied with trying to comfort his disconsolate Princess. Finally even he could no longer ignore what was happening, as the magic flared to a level on par with the energy he had channelled into the unsuccessful attack on Neko using the Golden Crystal. He looked up, at the termination of the chanting, just in time to see the light coalesce into a crystal bracelet.  
  
"Usagi," Neko said as he knelt down to the crestfallen girl and pressed the bracelet into her hand. "I know you're upset right now, but listen to me, this bracelet will grant you the same power you have drawn from the Crystal. This band contains more power than you ever drew from the crystal. It doesn't have the ability to allow you to make the same mistakes you would have with the other, but its power is far easier to channel." She put his finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. "~Usagi-chan, your ancestor Lunari was like a daughter to me, but after I went to sleep, and with only the best of intentions, she committed crimes with the crystal that were terrible beyond compare. I can not allow that to happen again. To activate the power of the bracer, you only need to will it.~"  
  
Neko looked around at the sombre group and sighed. There was still one last thing he needed to do here, and he could only hope the Senshi wouldn't overreact.  
  
"Luna, Artemis, I need to see you for a moment."  
  
The Mau slowly and carefully stepped over to Neko. They wondered what he wanted with them, and hoped it was nothing serious.  
  
"A terrible wrong was done to you." Neko began. "The crescent moon marking you bear is an abomination. Originally your kind bore a different mark, one that separated you from the common felines created by the Kami. At one time long ago your race was also Ulterran. There were countless different shapes that the Ulterran took, yours was one of them. When your kind was saved by Usagi's grandmother she changed them. In order to allow them to fit in more with her society she bonded you to the Crystal. It suppressed much of your natural instincts and made you loyal to its bearer. In exchange you gained very slightly increased intelligence and greatly lengthened life spans. If you desire it I can undo what has been done to you. You don't have to be afraid of losing what you gained. I promise you the benefits from the change will be maintained, but the mark than now holds you in thrall will do so no more. Your instincts will return, and you will no longer have to fear having your mark covered, it wouldn't do you any harm."  
  
Luna and Artemis didn't even need to think. They were being offered the best of both worlds. All the benefits they didn't even realise were part of Serenity's gift, and all of the freedom their kind had enjoyed for eons. They agreed without even bothering to talk to each other about it. Neko began the process of taking the bond apart and the Senshi looked on in wonder.  
  
"I didn't know." Usagi said still sitting on the floor. "I never thought about why evil was. I thought we had to stop it."  
  
"On the small scale yes." Mordred said as he sat down next to her. "The struggle between good and evil is one of the primary balancing forces of the universe. Struggle creates change, change fuels growth, growth promotes life. If you take out one piece the whole thing falls apart."  
  
"I'm sorry." Usagi said still crying. "I'm so sorry."  
  
With her words a pink swirl appeared in the air above the floor. Mamoru, who had seen this phenomenon before looked in terror at Lor. If that was what he believed it was there was about to be trouble, big trouble. Lor would be very unhappy. He didn't want to see Lor unhappy. He had met more than enough unhappy people today. His worst fears were realized when Chibi-Usa fell out of the portal and onto the floor of the apartment.  
  
Lor immediately fell to the ground in pain, Mordred stared at the pink haired girl in frank disbelief and Mori just shook his head. This was going to be bad.  
  
The first thing anyone noticed was that Chibi-Usa wasn't very chibi. In fact she looked considerably older than she did the last time they saw her. When she had gone home last year she had looked no older than eight years old. This girl was at least fourteen. Her hair was nearly as long as Usagi's and done in her typical cone shaped style. Her build was remarkably like her mother's, from the top of her head, to the bottoms of her feet. Only a slight difference in height, and the obvious colouration separated the two.  
  
"You!" Lor growled as he got to his feet. "You are a paradox."  
  
Chibi-Usa yelped and cowered behind Mamoru. She didn't know who that man was but he was very scary. She wasn't sure what a paradox was either but he said it like it was a bad thing, so she responded in the best way she could.  
  
"I'm not a paradox, I'm a princess."  
  
That statement alone proved to anyone who missed the rest of the clues exactly whose daughter she was. No one other than Usagi could have come up with an answer like that.  
  
"You may be a princess but you're also a paradox, Pinky. There's only one way to deal with a paradox."  
  
"Hey who are you calling Pinky you loser!" Chibi-Usa shouted at Lor from the dubious safety of behind her father.  
  
At the same instant Mordred had finally recovered himself and simply laughed. "Wait Lor. Don't erase her. You're going to love this one."  
  
"Eww that's icky. He's like ancient." Chibi-Usa retorted.  
  
"Not like that bunny brain." Lor responded. "He was talking about the situation, not the bimbo."  
  
Chibi-Usa was in a quandary. Her parents weren't standing up for her like they should be. He father never allowed anyone to talk to her like that. Her mother should have been zapping the tall guy by now, instead she was curled up on the ground. There was something very wrong with this picture.  
  
"Mom, dad?" she questioned. "Hello, royal princess to Odango Atama." She looked around at the rest of then Senshi for support, and found none. "Ok what happened here? Pu snatched me up out of a very nice dream and tossed me through a portal. She didn't even give me my key to get back. Any idea's here people?"  
  
"Your timeline no longer exists." Mordred said simply. "One of the only major changes between the new timeline and yours is the lack of your presence. She reacted the only way she could to save you."  
  
"And you know this how, Red?" She said with utter contempt completely not noticing the evil glare Hotaru gave her at the tone she used on Mordred.  
  
"I know everything." He said simply.  
  
"Oh really then."  
  
"Elios." He replied.  
  
"What abo."  
  
"Curry, You really should think up something harder." He said with boredom.  
  
"Ok Wh."  
  
"You own father, which is sickening by the way."  
  
"Masaka." Chibi-Usa whispered.  
  
"I take it this is the infamous Chibi-Usa?" Mori asked.  
  
"Yea, what's it too ya?" She replied.  
  
"Oh you're nothing like your mother." He responded.  
  
"Thank the Kami." She fired back.  
  
"I don't think I'm going to like you, but you are the answer to a problem that I encountered." He faced Mamoru, completely ignoring the pink haired nuisance for the moment, and addressed his concern. "You are the current possessor of the Golden Crystal correct?"  
  
"Yes." Mamoru said cautiously.  
  
"And it was given to you by Elios?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Oh good, that makes things much easier. Now do you accept the fact that Lunari is the primal ancestor of your bride to be Tsukino Usagi, one time wielder of the Silver Crystal, the would be Queen of Crystal Tokyo."  
  
"Yes." Mamoru had a bad feeling about this.  
  
"And finally do you acknowledge that Neko was the adoptive father of said Lunari, and therefore head of their clan."  
  
"Ummm I guess."  
  
"Excellent. Neko, I need to get the Golden Crystal back into Earryn's family line before its lack allows his line to fade. Will you consent to engaging your however many greats granddaughter to my servant?"  
  
"Oh of course. I'd hate to be responsible for the death of one of the last Ulterran lines."  
  
"Perfect, I'll gather the errant would be groom."  
  
"Hey wait a second!" Chibi-Usa yelled. "Did you just give me away to some boy I've never met? Just who the hell do you think you are?"  
  
"That's twice today I've gotten that same question. I'll be nicer to you. I'm your forty something greats grandfather, creator of the Silver Crystal, and the head of your clan. Arranged marriages are far from uncommon, and in fact still the norm among Ulterran. You are Ulterran as is your soon to be husband. I believe that settles it." He said calmly.  
  
Mori began to chant once again in Aleph. The Senshi were quietly whispering to themselves, wondering just what was going on. Chibi-Usa was screaming at the smiling brick wall named Neko and Hotaru was curled up in Mordred's lap giggling at something he whispered into her ear. Mamoru and Usagi on the other hand were still in shock. They badly wanted to yell and scream right along with Chibi-Usa. Arranged marriages went out in the nineteenth century, but they both had the sneaking suspicion that there was nothing they could do.  
  
"Elios!" Mori screamed in conclusion to his chant.  
  
The Senshi looked around expecting to see a bishonen boy with a little golden horn on his head. They were greatly mistaken. What appeared in the middle of the room was a tall powerful man in golden armour. A large western style broadsword hung in a scabbard on his belt. He was built like the Greek statues of Heracles. Makoto, Rei and even Mina had to wipe a little drool off their chins at this sight of him.  
  
"Mori-sama," he said with deep respect, "you have called so have I answered."  
  
"Ahh Elios, I am so happy to finally see the only remaining descendent of the Earryn line. How are you young friend?" Mori asked.  
  
"I am well Mori-sama. How may I serve you?"  
  
"I wish to know how the charge I gave your family is." Elios wilted at the question. It was obvious that Mori already knew the answer, but he had to play this out.  
  
"I no longer have the Stone in my possession, my lord. My grandfather chose to pass the stone on to King Thoresus of The Isle of Solitude. In my time I have done as my grandfather ordered and released it to the reincarnation of his twenty fifth great grandson Endymion."  
  
"So you have broken the trust?"  
  
"Not I my lord, but my ancestors."  
  
"I see, and do you know what will happen to your family without its energies? Have you never questioned why you are so much weaker than your grandfather was?"  
  
"I suspect my families powers will fade until we become mortal. Only one other family besides my own and the Lunari line survive, to my knowledge, and they found it necessary to abandon this plane to survive."  
  
"I understand. I will fix the error your ancestor made. You will be only lightly punished for continuing a tradition you knew was wrong. Do you accept that I am your ancestral Lord, Elios of clan Earryn?"  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
"Good, then like any good lord, I have seen to your comfort. I have selected for you a bride, her price has been met and the wedding will take place on her mothers twentieth birthday."  
  
"My lord that makes no sense. If her mother is only twenty she must be a child. You wouldn't have me marry a child would you my lord?"  
  
"Oh no, in fact she looks to only be a year or so younger than her mother, she's from the future." Mori said with a smile.  
  
"You don't mean?"  
  
"Oh yes. Elios of clan Earryn, meet your bride to be, Chibi-Usagi of clan Lunari."  
  
"Masaka." The two betrotheds said in unison before fainting.  
  
********  
  
An hour later, after teleporting Chibi-Usa, Mamoru, and Usagi to Mamoru's apartment and the Outers back to their own home, only Ami, Makoto, Mina and Rei remained. The argument still hadn't abated even with the cause having left.  
  
"You can't make them marry." Rei argued at Mori and Neko. "This is the Twentieth Century, we don't do things like that anymore."  
  
"Rei in my time that wasn't just common practice, it was expected, and as I am still alive, it is still my time." Mori finished with aplomb.  
  
"Errr you are impossible!" she screamed. "Mina, tell him he can't do this." She begged  
  
"But Rei, they already did, and besides, did you see how Chibi-Usa looked at him. It was so cute."  
  
"Yea Rei," Makoto agreed, "she didn't look very opposed to the idea after she saw him. I thought he was just a little kid, but he sure grew up fast."  
  
"He wasn't a little kid. He's a shapeshifter like Neko and I. When he was trying to win Chibi-Usa's trust he appeared as someone her own age. You did notice his unicorn form was fully mature didn't you?"  
  
"Yes," Ami said, "but I never realised that he might be able to change his appearance within his Humanoid and Eques forms."  
  
"What do you really look like?" Rei said looking at both of the Primarchs.  
  
"Uhh, that's a good question." Mori said.  
  
"Yea, do you mean what do I look like now or what?" Neko asked.  
  
"What do you really look like? What is your true appearance?"  
  
"You know, that's a harder question to answer than you think. We don't have a 'true' appearance."  
  
"Oh come on you have to look like something." Makoto interjected.  
  
"Well, in the first instant of my awareness I looked like this." Mori said as he disappeared. Only the glow that usually surrounded him remained. It was far brighter than usual, making looking at him difficult. "~Now, I know you can't see me,~" He continued telepathically, "~but I'm actually still in the same place. My physical existence is currently far smaller than a quark right now. This is no more my true appearance though than this is.~"  
  
Where there was only a glow moments ago now a small obviously carnivorous dinosaur stood. It quickly became a bird, which morphed into a cat, then an enormous praying mantis like thing and then into the small golden dragon they had seen before. It blew a short jet of flame and reverted to Mori.  
  
"As you can see, I don't have a true appearance."  
  
"Nor do I." The panther sized housecat sitting in Ami's lap responded.  
  
"Ok, why do you look like you do?" Mina asked.  
  
"Oh Mina-chan. If I can look like anything I want, why shouldn't I be attractive? I refuse to be average in anything." Everyone blushed at the implications.  
  
"Ok, I think I've had enough for one day." Rei said. "I'm going home now."  
  
"Hey, wait for me." Makoto said as she hopped up and followed the Miko towards the door. "I don't want to hang around here with just them, they get hentai." Everyone laughed as the two girls left.  
  
"So, shall we do our language lesson for the day?" Ami asked as soon as the door closed.  
  
"Actually, we came up with a better idea. Hold still Ami." Mori sat down and pulled Mina into his lap mimicking Neko's actions. The boys gently took hold of their girlfriends head and began to lightly trace complex symbols with their fingers.  
  
"This may be mildly unpleasant." Mori said with apology in his voice. "But it's the only way either of us have come up with to teach you Aleph in less than twenty years."  
  
"What are you going to do?" Ami asked worriedly.  
  
"Remember when I probed your mind Ami-chan?" When she nodded he continued. "Were going to do the opposite this time. I'm going to put all my knowledge of Aleph into your brain as quickly as I can get your mind to absorb it. Like Mori said this might be less than pleasant, we've never done this before."  
  
"Wait I don't think this is a good id." The transfer had already begun.  
  
********  
  
"So Rei, what should we do about Crystal Tokyo?" Makoto said as they got out of the elevator.  
  
"There's nothing we can do. It's gone. You know Setsuna wouldn't have sent Chibi-Usa back without a good reason, and she didn't give her a key this time. There's no going back for her."  
  
"Wow, I don't really know what to feel. On one hand I loved the idea of how peaceful it was supposed to be."  
  
"But on the other, the cost might have been too terrible to imagine." Rei finished. "I think the Primarchs are wrong. I believe we could make it work, but Usagi has given up. She surrendered the dream in there Makoto. It's gone."  
  
"Not like she had any choice." Makoto snorted as she pushed open the door to the outside. "All of us together couldn't stop one of them, and there are five Primarchs."  
  
"We can stop one. I have the Moon Sword. You saw what it did to Mori."  
  
"Rei I want you to give that back to Mina, you have no idea how dangerous it would be to try to hit him with that thing. He killed Haruka, Ami told me. She picked up the sword and he killed her for it. Neko had to bring her back."  
  
"Maybe." She said.  
  
Rei turned around to look back at the building where not only her Prince, but also the Primarchs lived. She couldn't see Mori or Mamoru's balconies from this side, but Neko's was easily visible. Something caught her eye a few floors down from the penthouse. She could see a glint of metal as someone moved through a fast kata with a sword. She looked carefully at the lightly muscled man and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. He had short blond hair and light skin, but his features were lost in the distance. She couldn't suppress a shiver though looking at him. Something was very wrong.  
  
End Chapter 8 


	9. Watchfires

Chapter 9: Watchfires  
  
My apologies on the delay, illness had me bedridden for close to three weeks. Thank you to all the reviews and praise from my loyal readers. This chapter is dedicated to those people who expressed their pleasure in my scratchings. Especially those who, like me, would dearly love to feed the pink haired demon into a woodchipper.  
  
"Ewww, Icky!" Chibi-Usa shouted. Her voice cut through Usagi's dreams and drug her forcefully into the waking world. She rolled over and cast a baleful eye onto her errant daughter. She had been having a truly wonderful dream before the little brat chose to interrupt.  
  
"What's your problem?" Usagi growled.  
  
"Eww eww eww, that's so nasty. I can't believe I just heard my own mother having a wet dream. Eww." Chibi-Usa whined.  
  
Usagi blushed at her daughters words. Chibi-Usa's description of her dream was accurate, crude, but accurate. She shook off the lingering heat and schooled her expression into a glare as she looked once again at her daughter.  
  
"And just what makes you so certain I was having a dream like that? Unlike little pink haired brats that shall remain nameless, I don't have those kinds of dreams. I have Mamoru after all." She finished with a haughty lift of her chin.  
  
"Eww, that's almost as nasty. I don't want to think about my parents getting it on. Thank you ever so much for the visual." Chibi-Usa by this time looked ill at the thought. "And what am I supposed to think when you wake me up moaning 'Oh god yes, right there. Again, more, just like that Mina-chan!'"  
  
Usagi blanched. She couldn't think of anything to say against evidence like that. Personally she blamed Mina and Mori for that dream. She had never even thought of another girl in a sexual way before the stunt they had pulled yesterday. It was terrifying. When she had been pressed between the two of them she had been able to easily feel both of their arousal. She was still somewhat ashamed of the tingle of excitement she felt when Mina's hardened nipples brushed against hers through the thin barriers of her Senshi fuku and the sheet. Of course that had been nothing compared to the sensation of Mori's arousal pressing against her from behind. That was obviously the cause for her strange, graphic and very erotic dream.  
  
"It wasn't what you're thinking. She was. giving me a massage, that's all. See, you're the hentai. Your diseased little hentai mind took something innocent and made it ecchi."  
  
"Sure Odango, that's why you were moaning, groaning and begging for more, oh not to mention squealing, panting, and pleading. You better be nice or I'll tell Mamo-chan about your sick little fantasies about the Senshi."  
  
"Oh shut up and go to sleep you horrible little brat!" Usagi seethed. When Chibi-Usa grumbled and burrowed back under the covers Usagi carefully let out a sigh of relief. At least she hadn't said anything about Mori or Neko. Mamo-chan would be very upset if he ever found out she had dreams about the Primarchs.  
  
********  
  
Ami tapped her pencil against her desk. It was thirty minutes before class and for the first time in her memory she had absolutely nothing to do. As usual her homework was not only complete, but ahead of schedule. She had already finished reading all of her textbooks, and had in fact done the next week of probable assignments last night after Neko disappeared with Mori.  
  
She was used to being ahead scholastically, but this was ridiculous. She was down to needing less than two hours sleep a night, and all that spare time, coupled with how easy everything seemed now, was wearing on her. She looked over at Mina and smiled at seeing the blond girl casually completing her schoolwork. The Sensei would more than likely have an aneurism from shock at that.  
  
She wondered where the boys were off to. Neko hadn't come back to bed last night as was his normal pattern. She felt a little lonely without him, and resolved to interrogate him thoroughly as soon as he showed up.  
  
She again looked around the almost totally deserted room and sighed. There was nothing at all to do. She cast her mind back to the revelations of last night and remembered the look of betrayal Usagi had given her and Mina when they had effectively sided with Neko against her. She hoped that Usagi would eventually understand and forgive her, but she wasn't sorry for siding with Neko. He and Mori were certain that Usagi's plan would have doomed the Human race to destruction, and she wasn't about to doubt their sincerity.  
  
"Ami, I can't get number forty six to work out. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong?" Mina asked.  
  
"The book has a misprint. There's no way to complete the problem." Ami answered.  
  
"Ok, thanks."  
  
"You're welcome Mina."  
  
Ten minutes later the class had filled considerably, yet as usual there was no sign of the other Senshi. The day Usagi showed up early for school Ami would take her to the hospital. Several students were warily watching Mina, still convinced she must be a pod person. The Mina they knew would never be in school before the tardy bell, especially doing her assignments. Ami's musings were interrupted by Hiromasa, a boy on the swimming team, coming into the class and approaching her.  
  
"Ami-san?" He asked. He looked very nervous.  
  
"Yes Hiromasa-san?"  
  
"Um, I have something I want to ask you, in private that is," he continued anxiously. "Can I talk to you at lunch?"  
  
Ami was genuinely perplexed. She had no idea what he could possibly need to talk to her alone about. She agreed to meet with him despite her confusion, and he smiled with obvious relief as he left.  
  
"Ami-chan!" Mina whispered harshly. "Why did you say yes? You have to realize what he wants."  
  
"Actually I have no idea." Ami admitted.  
  
"Anno. It was so obvious he was trying to ask you out. He probably was just too scared to ask you with everyone watching."  
  
"Mina, you have to be mistaken. What possible reason would he have to ask me out? He's known me since middle school and never shown the slightest interest in me before."  
  
"Ami-chan, you may not realise it, but you're beautiful. In the last couple of weeks it's become even more obvious. Ever since you became involved with Konjou you've become a lot more self confident. Your beauty isn't hiding anymore, it's kinda out in peoples faces now."  
  
Ami was highly embarrassed by Mina's words. She hadn't realised that she was acting any different from how she had. The idea that people noticed the change in her was shocking.  
  
"Are you sure that's what he wanted Mina?"  
  
"Oh definitely, it was just far too obvious."  
  
"Great. Now I have to dissuade Hiromasa before Konjou notices his interest. Can you imagine how he would react?"  
  
"Yea, we would need a mop for poor Hiromasa."  
  
The other girls filed into the room finally. Usagi seemed in a surprisingly good mood considering what happened the night before. Rei glanced briefly at Ami and Mina sparing them a small smile of greeting. Makoto waved at Mina and took her seat, talking animatedly to Rei the entire time.  
  
The tardy bell rang, yet still the boys had not arrived. Ami began to worry a bit. Yes they were nigh-omnipotent beings, but she couldn't suppress the odd feeling that Neko needed her. Mina's expression stated just as clearly as words that she too wondered where their absent boyfriends were. The teacher was calling roll when the apparition manifested in the room.  
  
"People of the Earth," Neko's image intoned, "the brief reprieve the Senshi bought you with their bravery has ended. Once again we will return to our efforts to cleanse what you have polluted, to repair what you have destroyed. As of this instant we invoke a ban. We will no longer allow wasteful and destructive use of fossil fuel powered transportation. From this instant forward you will find it impossible to burn fossil fuels at all. No longer will your coal or oil power plants function, no longer will you pollute the air with your stupidity."  
  
"We know you have devised other methods to power transportation, and our own Dimensional Power Taps will easily provide all the electricity you could ever require. There will be more changes soon. We would advise you not to be foolish. We will not harm anyone that does not bring harm down upon themselves. Do not provoke us."  
  
The image winked out of existence leaving total silence in the classroom. Obviously it had been sent to the entire human race at the same time. Ami briefly considered how Neko planned to overcome the fact that the vast majority of humans didn't speak Japanese, but realised that more than likely the words it spoke were heard in whatever language the listener understood. She seethed with irritation at Neko's total lack of tact. The very least he could have done was tell her he intended to do this. Makoto, Rei and Usagi were glaring at both Mina and her with unmistakeable anger.  
  
"Just great." She said caustically  
  
Ami started when Konjou and Tenjin simply appeared in their seats. No one other than the Senshi took note of their unique entrance. The Glamour that protected them easily caused the oddity to go unnoticed. Konjou gave her a roguish smile, completely ignoring the death glare she sent his way.  
  
********  
  
Mina was very unhappy. It was perfectly obvious to anyone with a brain that Tenjin was hers, but that didn't seem to be stopping that cow Mika from flirting with him all day long. Ever since classes started, several hours ago, the tart had done everything short of taking her clothes off to get his attention. Of course he didn't even seem to notice her blatant overtures, but it hardly made any difference to Mina. He was hers and everyone knew it, Mika's sluttish actions were a direct insult to her.  
  
"So Tenjin," Mika cooed at him, "I was wondering if we could get together after school today. I was thinking you could come over to my house and we could get to know each other better. My parents won't be home till late this evening."  
  
Mina's blood was close to boiling. The little tramp could have hardly been any more obvious. She thought. Tenjin barely glanced at Mika before dismissing her with the casual response of, "Sorry Mika-san, I have plans." Damn right he has plans. Mina retorted in her head.  
  
"Oh please tell me you've gotten over that frumpy little Mina girl. You can do so much better." Mika laughed.  
  
Mina was far beyond pissed. She wanted nothing more in the universe right then, than to claw the little hussy's eyes out. Only Tenjin's total non-interest in the brunette girl saved her from severe bodily harm.  
  
"Let me guess Mika-san, the better I can supposedly do is you right?" When Mika nodded in agreement Tenjin laughed out loud. "Pardon me," he said still laughing, "That would be like trading in a Lamborghini for a moped. No thanks Mika-san, I'm just not interested."  
  
Mina laughed at Tenjin's reply. Mika's face contorted in anger at his scathing response and she turned around in a huff. Tenjin gave Mina a wink and once again closed his eyes listening to the Sensei. He never took notes. Mina looked down at her open notebook and blinked in confusion. On the top of her desk next to where she had dropped her pen were five deep scratches into the surface. She knew they hadn't been there a few minutes ago, but she was at a total loss to explain their appearance.  
  
Lunch period arrived quickly afterwards and Mina quickly leapt from her seat. She wasn't hungry in the least, but in her opinion it had been far too long since she had a Mori-fix. Ami on the other hand didn't rush like Mina had, but she did gather her things considerably more quickly than usual. She really needed to get outside before Konjou followed her. She had to turn Hiromasa down before her boyfriend noticed him.  
  
Ami made it out of the classroom before Konjou had even started gathering his things. She waited just outside the door to the courtyard for her admirer. She was very impatient for him to arrive, as far as she was concerned his life was on the line.  
  
"Ami-san!" Hiromasa shouted from the hallway. He rushed up to her looking somehow shy and nervous. It was strange for her to think of someone as shy considering how she had been all of her life, but since becoming involved with Neko she had had the shyness burned out of her.  
  
"Ami-san." He repeated when he stood next to her, looking more at the ground than at her. "Can we talk in private Ami-san? I have something important to ask you." He continued. He only looked at her once, and it was only for a second, but she was easily able to tell that he was blushing, and just barely managing not to stutter with nervousness.  
  
"Hiromasa-san," Ami began, "I have something I think I better tell you first. You see."  
  
"Ahh there you are Ami-chan." Konjou interrupted. "You left the class so fast I never got a chance to give you something important."  
  
Hiromasa was torn between anger at Konjou's intrusion, and abject terror at his presence. When he noticed Konjou had put his arm around Ami his heart sank. Everyone knew Makoto and Konjou had broken up. It looked like Konjou had already noticed what everyone else was just beginning to, Ami was truly beautiful.  
  
"Konjou, this is Tanaka Hiromasa, A friend of mine from the swim team."  
  
Hiromasa's heart soared at being called her friend. Before today he had hardly spoken more than a few dozen words a year to her. In fact, he had said more to her in the last five minutes than he had in all of middle school put together.  
  
"Just a moment please Tanaka-san." Konjou said.  
  
Konjou pulled Ami into his arms and drew her into a deep kiss that curled her toes and made her think of teleporting to spend the lunch hour at his apartment rather than on school grounds. An eternity later she felt herself lowered back to the ground with her heart still hammering in her ears. She vaguely heard Konjou again speaking to Hiromasa.  
  
"I'm very happy to meet you Tanaka-san it's like pulling teeth getting Ami-chan to talk about herself. Since you're on the swim team with her I'll have to get together with you and figure out all of her secrets." He smiled in a very friendly manner at the smaller boy.  
  
"Hai Konjou-san, it sounds like a great idea." Hiromasa said sounding like he had just been given a death sentence. His expression failed badly at looking cheerful.  
  
"Well it was pleasant meeting you Tanaka-san, but Ami and I need to catch up with the rest of the girls before Usagi eats everyone's lunch." With that Konjou led a very bemused Ami away from her distraught would-be admirer.  
  
"That was hardly necessary Konjou." She said once they were out of Hiromasa's hearing.  
  
"True, but Enkil that was fun," he replied.  
  
"So where are Mina and Tenjin?" Makoto asked Konjou when they arrived where the other girls where eating. Even the Outers were there today.  
  
"They hopped back to the apartment for lunch." Konjou said blithely. Ami was suddenly glad she hadn't suggested her earlier thought to Konjou.  
  
"Anyone want to bet the only snack he's having is Mina?" Haruka intoned.  
  
"Haruka!" Usagi shouted. For some reason Usagi blushed to the roots of her hair.  
  
"Oh come on, we all know what those two are like. Its not like they even try to hide it."  
  
"Still, some of us are trying to eat here."  
  
"Did anyone see Tenjin shoot down that Mika girl?" Konjou asked. "Man that was cruel. I haven't heard anything that vicious since Kerai and Sierra got in their little catfight over Nilrathin." At the totally blank looks on all the Senshi's faces Konjou replied, "Long story, happened ages ago between a couple of friends of mine. We ever get a few spare years and I'll fill you in."  
  
"Yea, sure." Haruka replied before digging into her bento.  
  
"Well Konjou, perhaps you could explain this morning's announcement. I know you guys haven't talked with Usagi about those concessions." Michiru began.  
  
"Oh that." Konjou said with a half-laugh. He smiled disarmingly as he scratched the back of his head. "Well you know, that was one of the points that Mori wouldn't have bent on. No more pollution, at all. It's not like we didn't bend on how to implement it. Originally Mori was just going to make everything that produced pollution reabsorb into the earth like we did with everything else."  
  
"So that's what happened." Ami said with glee. "You have no idea how curious I was just what you did."  
  
"Reabsorbed?" Usagi asked.  
  
"We broke everything down into its base component materials and returned it to the earth. It's not really that hard. In fact tomorrow were going to do just that to every landfill and junkyard on the planet. Of course if you think that's neat, just wait till we set up the Arcologies and worldwide transportation systems. Of course when we finish with those Mori is going to wipe out every city on the planet," Konjou continued despite the gasps and sputtering of the girls, "but that really wont matter as everyone will have been relocated to the Arcologies by then."  
  
"You can't do that!" Michiru and Rei shouted in almost unison.  
  
"Anno. What's an Arcology?" Usagi interrupted sounding troubled.  
  
"Hmm, well the best explanation would be a super city, a city that is all one building effectively. Imagine a doughnut shaped building with a circumference of about fifty kilometres. Imagine the building standing almost a kilometre tall. The ring of the building would be close to two kilometres thick. Inside the centre of the doughnut would be an enormous park, with a huge lake that supplied the water for the Arcology. The lake would be fed by a river that literally ran through the Arcology."  
  
"Given the sheer size of the thing it could hold half the population of the greater Tokyo area, including housing all the industry needed to support itself. That's Mori's final plan in dealing with Humanity. There are currently about six and a half billion humans on this world. It can only support about nine billion. His plan will allow for the maximum possible amount of cultivatable land to be used, while maintaining the minimum possible ecological damage from humanity and its industries."  
  
The Senshi sat back in total shock. While Mori's plan did make an impressive amount of sense, it would never work. The idea was a complete disaster. There was simply no way he could ever talk the entire human race into moving into these 'Arcologies', and Usagi wouldn't allow him to force them to go.  
  
"Never." Usagi said with vehemence. "I will not allow him to do something like that."  
  
"Excuse me, is this coming from the girl that was going to exile everyone that refused to allow her to 'cleanse' them? You're not really in a position to throw stones little bunny."  
  
Usagi sputtered for a second before calming down. An eerie look came into her eyes and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'll just use one of my concessions to tell him no. He can't fight me about it if I have Mordred on my side."  
  
Hotaru smiled at the maturity and wisdom Usagi had just demonstrated. She believed whole heartedly that Mordred would back Usagi up on that completely. Of course they really needed to learn just how many concessions Mordred had given them, before Usagi accidentally used them all trying to thwart problems that might not be as critical as others.  
  
"Ahh little bunny, you forget that any concessions have to mutually agreeable to both you and Mori, and I seriously doubt he'd be willing to bend on the Arcologies. In fact, if you do somehow manage to stop that idea, he will probably reduce the planetary population to something he finds less offensive, and easier to support. Needless to say, that would be a Bad Thing."  
  
It only took a handful of seconds for the implications of Konjou's statement to settle in. Of course the Senshi were very quiet after that. A handful of minutes later the bell signalling the end of lunch rang and the group quickly split up to return to their respective classes.  
  
For the life of him Tenjin couldn't figure out why the girls were giving him such evil stares all throughout the afternoon classes. Sure he and Mina had gone back to his apartment rather than meeting with them, but that hardly merited the sub-arctic shoulder routine. Only Mina, who had been with him, seemed happy with him, and given what he had done to her during their hour long break she had no right to be anything but. Again he intercepted a near death-glare from Rei and wondered what could have possibly happened in such a short time to piss the girls off this bad. He really needed to have a little chat with Neko, but Neko wasn't responding to his psychic questioning.  
  
Rei was livid. This went beyond monumental betrayal, this was. well she couldn't even come up with a word to describe her disgust at Mori's plan. Oh she knew he had more that enough power to accomplish his goal, and there was really nothing she could do other than die a heroic death standing up against it, but she wouldn't just allow him to effectively imprison the entire human race in his 'Arcologies'. The first thing she was going to do was give him a giant piece of her mind, then if he still refused to see reason, things would get ugly.  
  
She was frustrated beyond all reasonability. Ami knew Neko wasn't joking about Mori's goal to settle the entire human populace into Arcologies. Truthfully they were the ideal answer to the world's population problems. They were the ultimate evolution of a city, but could only survive if pollution and crime were held to lows that she simply doubted that humanity could achieve without Usagi's idea of 'cleansing' them.  
  
The entire idea was disturbing in that she also knew beyond the shadow of any doubt that should Mori be placed in the position of wiping out the majority of the human race to protect his world, he would do it in a heartbeat and not have even the smallest pangs of conscience.  
  
Ami would have liked nothing more right then, than to lose herself in some homework, or studying ahead, but she was even denied that. Now that she was flooded with Neko's energies everything seemed so easy for her. She had already memorized verbatim every textbook she had. Worse, the teacher had handed out a one hundred question review for Friday's test, she had finished it in less than three minutes. It just wasn't fair, she thought as her frustration mounted. There was simply no way for her to escape thinking about today's crisis.  
  
Makoto badly wanted to stand up and beat the snot out of Tenjin. His idea was just wrong. Any idiot could see that if you put that many people in those kinds of conditions they would snap. Only the people that lived on the very inside or outside of the doughnut shape would be able to see the outdoors. Sure there would be a big park, but people needed to see the grass and trees. They needed the feel of the wind in their hair and the scents of flowers in the breeze. And though most people in Tokyo might disagree, they needed to see the stars. Mori's idea would drive the vast majority of the human race insane.  
  
She looked over at him again doing her best to communicate her frustration with her eyes alone, and gasped at what she saw. She quickly looked around to see if anyone else noticed, and was happy to find that everyone else was too absorbed in their assignment to have seen. On the other side of Tenjin from her, Ami sat staring off into space. She looked out the window, her posture erect, her body language tense, oh and she was glowing, glowing with a brilliant silver aura at least fifteen centimetres thick. Makoto desperately racked her brain to find a way to get Konjou to notice before anyone else did.  
  
"Usagi!"  
  
"Usagi!" Usagi heard Makoto whispering fiercely to her. She turned around to face her friend and nearly yelped as her gaze fell across Ami. She gaped in disbelief until Makoto again hissed her name.  
  
"Hai?" Usagi whispered back.  
  
"Tell Konjou. He might be able to do something." Makoto hissed.  
  
Konjou looked directly at Makoto and his voice sounded in her head "~What do you need Mako-chan?~"  
  
Makoto jumped at the psychic intrusion. It was a first for her to actually feel the presence of Neko in her mind. She spent a few brief instants wondering if this was like the connection that Usagi and Mamoru shared. She felt Konjou's impatience and quickly returned her attention to the problem.  
  
"~Konjou?... Look at Ami. She's glowing, you have to do something before anyone else sees it.~" She implored.  
  
Konjou quickly turned and took note of Ami's aura. His eyes widened in shock and pleasure. It was obvious that he was impressed by something.  
  
"~Thanks Mako-chan~" She heard him reply in her head. She watched carefully as he turned his attention to Ami.  
  
"~Ami-chan, it looks like my little nickname was more accurate than either of us thought.~" He began. "~Try not to freak out and call any attention to yourself, but look at your reflection~" He said, and held up a small mirror.  
  
Ami quickly looked at the mirror Konjou held in his hand and almost screamed.  
  
"~Konjou! Help, what's going on?~"  
  
"~You're glowing Sprite.~" He supplied unhelpfully.  
  
"~I can see that. Why am I glowing and how do I stop?~"  
  
"~Well the why is fairly easy. You have obviously absorbed enough of my energy to begin to manifest a nice aura just like mine. How to stop is a different sort of problem. You see Sprite, we Primarchs glow naturally. It takes a small amount of concentration to keep from doing so. It gets a lot harder when our emotions are running high. I'd suggest you calm down, and concentrate on not glowing. Just sort of imagine pulling the light inside your skin.~" He finished.  
  
Ami closed her eyes and concentrated hard on the mental image of her normal reflection, the way she looked without glowing. She thought of her slightly pale skin and blue eyes, without the lustre gained by the silver radiance.  
  
"~There you go Sprite. You're not glowing anymore. Now all you have to do is sort of keep that image in your head, or just calm down.~"  
  
"~This is harder than it sounded.~" She complained.  
  
"~Well I do have about hmmm twelve and a half billion years of experience over you in it. Not to mention that my psyche was designed with that in mind. Look, I know it's hard for you, but you'll just have to get used to it, ok?~"  
  
"~Neko-chan sometimes I wonder why I ever got involved with you. If I knew then what I know now.~"  
  
"~You still would have seduced me. You can't get over the sex Sprite.~" He thought to her with total confidence.  
  
She didn't bother to think a reply. There were times when Konjou's ego was unbelievable. She didn't know whether to giggle or scream when he got like this.  
  
P.E. class was yet another thing Mina enjoyed even more now. The laughable ease with which she performed the required activities was great. Of course she had to constantly watch herself to keep from doing something obviously impossible for a normal human, but that was a small price to pay.  
  
She looked around the soccer field that comprised the inside of the track and sighed slightly with envy when her eyes fell on Umi. Umi had transferred to the school last semester, and even the older girls were slightly in awe of her. She had long, silky, silvery blond hair, and a bust that rivalled Makoto's. Her skin was a very healthy tan that never faded. Her face was an almost perfect oval, and her lavender eyes twinkled like amethysts when she smiled. She was actually supposed to be a grade ahead of Mina, but due to certain undisclosed difficulties she had encountered in her previous school, the administration felt she would be better off repeating her second year.  
  
Mina knew full well that she was beautiful. Mori told her so often and with fervour, but she was still eaten up with jealousy every time she compared herself to Umi. Even worse was Umi's complete lack of acknowledgement of her own beauty. She was so nice that it was impossible to hate her for it, and she went out of her way to avoid the attention of the boys in the school. That mattered not at all though. Mina desperately wished she looked a little like Umi. It was her hair and bust that Mina envied, and the height, Mina mused. Kami, if she could change anything about herself it would be that.  
  
As they slowly jogged around the track Konjou and Tenjin joked with one another and kept a careful eye on their loved ones. They knew there were other eyes watching as well, and more than likely not all of them were benign. They could easily sense the hidden presence of the guardians they had resurrected. The cats were slightly harder to detect, as it was the nature of a feline to hide and stalk. More troubling though was the sense that there was something else out there, something just on the edge of their perceptions, probably unfriendly, and very, very well hidden. Tenjin had allowed his attention to stray from the girls in order to concentrate his awareness and locate the mystery observer when Konjou got his attention.  
  
"/Shit!/" he swore in Aleph. "/Mori you better take a look at Mina. She's doing something you need to put a stop to in a hurry./"  
  
Tenjin was so stunned by what he saw he stopped jogging and simply stared at Mina. Her P.E. uniform was stretched to its limits. Her short lithe form had expanded noticeably. Mina usually stood one hundred sixty centimetres tall with a slender light build. That was no longer true. Her hips were the same size as usual, but her shorts now barely maintained anything resembling modesty due to her longer legs. They rode up high, nearly exposing parts of her Tenjin would kill people for thinking about. Her usually loose T-shirt stretched tight across her chest. Her breasts had increased at least a cup size, and her chest itself was at a minimum of nine centimetres greater around. Her hair had turned a strange but beautiful shade of silvery-blonde, and her longer legs and body made her far closer to Makoto in height. If it weren't for the fact that he could sense her energies, he would have been very hard pressed to identify her.  
  
"~Mina!~" Tenjin shouted at her psionicly. "~Mina!~"  
  
"~Concentrate hard on this image. Think about you looking just exactly like this.~" He said, sending Mina an image of what she looked like when he met her.  
  
"~I don't understand Tenjin. What's going on?~"  
  
"~I'll explain in a moment, but first you have to hurry. Just imagine yourself looking exactly like that image.~"  
  
Mina furrowed her brow in concentration. Slow, but with gathering speed her appearance shifted back to normal. Last to change was her hair. Its normal golden-yellow colouration washed down from the roots to its ends in a wave of golden light. Tenjin let out a sigh of relief and began to explain what happened to the curious blonde.  
  
"~Mina, were going to have a talk this afternoon. Consider any plans you had cancelled.~"  
  
"~Tenjin!~" She shouted mentally at his presumption.  
  
"~I'm serious Mina, unless of course you want the whole world to see you accidentally shapeshift. Next time you might turn into something more embarrassing.~"  
  
Mina considered the implications of Tenjin's words and decided to agree. The last thing she needed was to do something that would cause her parents to notice anything odd about her. She could just imagine her mother calling up all of her relatives to tell them her daughter was a superhero. Her cousins would descend on her like a plague of locusts clamouring to be seen with her. Her identity would be completely compromised in less than an hour.  
  
"~Fine, but you didn't have to be so demanding about it.~" She sulked.  
  
Tenjin shook his head. He couldn't understand how Mina could have taken offence at his words. Yes he was somewhat demanding, but this was no time for games. Shapeshifting like that could be felt if you were close enough, and knew just what to look for. If it hadn't been for his preoccupation he would have felt her changing instantly.  
  
********  
  
Konjou and Tenjin took no chances at all. As soon as the bell rang dismissing classes for the day they were out of their seats and waiting impatiently for their girlfriends. Mina finished gathering her things and joined them quickly, but Ami took several minutes organizing her school supplies and study materials before joining them. The classroom was deserted save for them by the time she finally made it over. Tenjin scanned the area for any observers and nodded to Konjou. The instant he received the all clear, he teleported the four of them to the apartment with a nearly inaudible pop.  
  
"/Ok,/" Mori said in Aleph as he resumed his normal form. "/It's obvious that your increased energy was a symptom of something greater./" He continued looking at the girls. "/You two seem to be developing abilities similar to Neko's and mine. This could be a serious problem for you two. You have never in your lives imagined the difficulty of controlling anything like what we can do./"  
  
He looked directly at Ami before resuming his discourse. "/According to Neko you demonstrated a silver aura today identical to his own. What we need to see is if it was a temporary aberration, or a continuing effect. If it is something long lasting, or Dallak forbid, permanent, we need to learn just what else is going on. If the two of you are starting to become like us we need to teach you to deal with it. You can not even begin comprehend the changes your lives will undergo./"  
  
"/Ami, I want you to concentrate on glowing. I want you to remember Neko's aura and imagine yourself having the same thing./" Neko relaxed his control of his own aura and burst into soft silver radiance. Ami stared hard at him yet after several minutes remained as normal. Mori frowned and looked at Neko, who shrugged and continued to watch her carefully. After another handful of minutes passed without any noticeable difference Mori took matters into his own hands.  
  
Reaching out faster than anyone could follow he smacked Ami across the face hard enough to throw her into the wall on the other side of the room. The wards carved into the trim at the floor and ceiling flashed protecting the walls from the massive impact. Ami bounced off it and fell heavily to the ground. Tears welled into her eyes as she cradled her face in her hands. Mori had hit her several times harder than he had struck Haruka during their sparing match. Only the anklet Neko had given her save her cheekbones from shattering.  
  
"/Mori what in the fuck do you think your doing!/" Neko yelled. His aura blazed around him like the corona of a star. The wardings on the walls fought against the potent tides of power, barely keeping them from bursting into flame. Totally ignoring the obvious threat Neko made, Mori simply pointed at the fallen girl. Sitting curled on the ground, Ami was once again wrapped within a fifteen centimetre thick silver aura. Neko could already see where it had begun to heal the injury Mori had dealt her.  
  
"/As I suspected, she currently has little to no conscious control. It only manifested when her emotions were running out of her control./" He knelt down before the fallen girl and cast a quick healing spell, erasing the pain of his actions. "/I'm sorry Ami, but I had to get you by surprise. If I would have told you what I intended you would have remained calm. You're just too sensible to be provoked to extreme emotion easily./"  
  
Ami looked at him, anger and accusation in her eyes. She swallowed the remainder of her tears, blinked her eyes clear and nodded to him in agreement. Neko picked her up and cradled her in his arms, their auras combining into a solid mass of light. Mori turned to Mina and she gulped nervously. She had no idea what Mori intended to do to her, but after watching him swat Ami aside like a fly she had vivid memories of how hard she had been hit after her abortive attack with her missing Moon Sword.  
  
"/Mina, I want you to remember whatever you were thinking about this afternoon. Something you saw or thought caused you to change your appearance./" Mina easily recalled her envy of Umi's beauty. She remembered wanting badly to look like her. Mina concentrated on the feelings of envy, and the need she had deep inside herself to be beautiful. She tried with all her will to be Umi.  
  
"/Wow./" Ami said softly as Mina slowly but surely changed. She grew nearly a dozen centimetres, her chest inflated like a balloon, her hair rippled and waved, becoming the sliver-blond of the shy Umi.  
  
"/Stop./" Mori ordered. "/What were you thinking about?/"  
  
"/I was thinking about Umi. She's a girl in 2-C that has our P.E. class./" Mina admitted.  
  
"/What about Umi?/" Neko interrupted.  
  
"/I was thinking about how much prettier and better built she is than me, and how I wished I looked more like her./" Mina admitted at length. She seemed to squirm as she said it, obviously embarrassed to admit to her feelings of inadequacy. "/She has such pretty hair, and her chest is a lot bigger than mine./" Mina continued in a near whisper.  
  
Mori was flabbergasted. He couldn't even bring up an image of what the girl named Umi looked like. He was positive he must have seen her at some point, but in his opinion there was no one more beautiful than Mina. Sure the other Senshi were very attractive, especially Rei and Usagi, but Mina was far and away the most attractive young woman he had seen in his entire twelve and three quarters billion years of life. He really needed to have a talk with Mina about her completely ridiculous feelings of inadequacy.  
  
"/Ok Mina, that's enough of that. Now I want you to change back into your usual gorgeous self./" He said gently. "/It's obvious that these abilities are not one time things. I now want to try to see if you can shapeshift Ami."  
  
Ami concentrated for a moment, there was a brief burst of power and Mori and Neko gaped in awe at Ami's demonstration. Where the usually quiet, pretty, Ami had stood instants ago now stood a perfect copy of Makoto. Ami's school clothes couldn't begin to contain the larger girl's build, and they lay torn and tattered on the ground. She 'eeped' and quickly tried to conceal her nudity. Her embarrassment caused her to lose concentration and Ami reappeared futilely attempting to maintain modesty. Neko took pity on her and with a snap of his fingers her destroyed school fuku reassembled itself and once again covered her.  
  
"/Well./" Mori said after composing himself, "/it seems Ami is quite capable of Shapeshifting, in fact you did considerably better than Mina did. Of course to be fair, you did have the benefit of learning from Mina's efforts./" He said in a mollifying tone. "/Now Mina, I want you to try to bring out an aura like Ami did./" Before Mori had time to say anything else Mina was surrounded by a soft golden glow. It wasn't as bright as Ami's had been, but Mina was obviously not as emotional as Ami was when she successfully summoned it.  
  
"/Excellent!/" Mori congratulated. "/Hmm. I wonder what else we should have them try?/"  
  
"/I recommend we move on to basic magic./" Neko said speaking up.  
  
"/I agree, but that's much more your field than mine. How about we find out if they still have their elemental ties first?/"  
  
"/Good idea./"  
  
Ami looked and Mina and something indefinable passed between the girls. Mina nodded at whatever their shared look meant and reached out to grab Mori by the ear. She twisted and pulled his head down to within inches of her mouth.  
  
"Mori-chan." She said in Japanese. "It's really insulting when you talk about us like we weren't here right Ami-chan?" The blue haired girl nodded, the serious look she wore never wavered as she impaled Neko with her eyes.  
  
"Right," Mori said gritting his teeth, "well on to testing you for elemental resonance. Neko, if you would please?"  
  
Neko smiled at Ami, ignoring the cold stare she levelled at him. "Hang on Sprite, this will only take a second." Neko held his hand over her heart, just barely touching her. Despite the serious nature of the conversation, and the fact that they were not alone, she could feel her nipple harden at the light contact of his hand on her breast. After only a mater of seconds he dropped his hand and smiled at her.  
  
"Ami definitely still has her resonance. On the plus side Sprite it will make learning water and ice based magic easy, of course teaching you anything else will be three times as hard, but you take the good with the bad I suppose." Neko moved over to Mina and repeated the process. Ami was clearly unhappy with the idea of Neko having his hand on Mina's breast, but she kept silent for the brief time it took. Neko took his hand away and winked at Mina, drawing a blush from the beautiful blonde. "And just as we suspected Mina is still resonating as well. So I guess you'll be teaching her Metal and Kinetic magic then."  
  
"Assuming you two can actually be taught that is. Are you interested in learning?" Mori asked.  
  
The looks on their faces said it all. Mori had never in his entire life been called that stupid with a look before.  
  
********  
  
"/Concentrate Mina!/" Mori said harshly. "/If you don't control it Dallak knows where it will go. Do you want to accidentally cut one of your friends in half?/"  
  
Mina broke out in a sweat as she fought to control the gathering energy. The intricate finger movements and concentration needed to shape the force as it formed were staggering. At first Mori had been ecstatic at her ability to use magic at all. According to him, of all the beings that were descended from the Ulterran, humans had the least magical aptitude. Less than one one-thousandth of a percent of the human race had the requisite innate ability to learn even the most primitive of magic. Less than a quarter of those had the ability to do more than parlour tricks. And only the tiniest fraction of the human race had what it took to achieve true power. Apparently the all of the Senshi belonged to the last group.  
  
Unfortunately for the human race the rarity of its practitioners, and the time and difficulty required to attain power, had long ago done away with anyone capable of instructing the lucky few. As Ami and Mina were learning, it took a lot more than saying the right words to cast a spell. The only people who could have possibly maintained even the smallest magical training were those extremely rare families that seemed to have an inordinate proportion of adepts, and managed to pass on the knowledge from generation to generation.  
  
This of course put the Senshi in a unique position. For the first time in almost ten thousand years there were true Archmagi around to instruct pupils, and the Senshi had a monopoly on them. Unfortunately not all Archmagi were the most patient teachers.  
  
"/Mina I swear to Dallak the next time you throw that spell too early I'll let it go right through the wall and kill people down on the street!/"  
  
Others seemed tailor made for the task.  
  
"/Good Sprite, wonderful. Now that you have the energy locked into the pattern it's just a matter of channelling it properly. Now repeat after me, but don't allow the energy to escape. It helps if you imagine it trapped in a bubble for now./"  
  
Some spells were easier than others of course.  
  
"/Well finally! You got the basics down for a Kinetic Razor. Do try to remember that it will go where you picture the pattern flowing to. So unless you want to fling two dimensional planes of force around at random./"  
  
"/Nice Sprite! You managed to master the Chilling Field fairly quickly. Now of course it's not that useful for anything more than making your drinks cold, but its best to start small./"  
  
And of course some students simply learned quicker than others.  
  
"/Dammit Mina that was my hand! Could you at least try to remember your basic Senshi attacks will be considerably harder to control when you cast them properly!/"  
  
"/That's right Sprite. You already know the proper patterns for those spells, but when you cast them this way they will be at the very least five times as powerful as you're used to. Be careful of how you. That's exactly right!/"  
  
Four hours later Ami remembered her promise to her mother. She winced in fear of the possible outcomes of what she was about to demand of Konjou. She had never tried demanding anything from him before, and she desperately hoped that he would agree without an argument. She knew her mother was likely already waiting impatiently for her to arrive.  
  
"Neko, I have something really important that I need you to do."  
  
"What do you need Sprite?"  
  
"My mother.well my mother sort of found out about you, and of course she's really rather intelligent, and it didn't take her very long at all to realize that I haven't been spending my nights at home which of course led her to search my room for evidence of where I had been." She was silenced by Neko kissing her gently.  
  
"You're babbling Sprite. Calm down, I'm not going anywhere, and I won't be mad at you."  
  
"My mother knows I've been sleeping with you and she ordered me to bring you home to meet her tonight. She's probably already waiting for us and she won't be very happy if we don't get there very soon." She said relatively calmly.  
  
"So you've been ordered to bring your boyfriend home to meet your mother huh? I've never actually done that before. Well except for the couple of times that I was seeing both mother and daughter, but I'm quite sure you don't really want to hear about that." Neko did his very best to ignore that killing stare Ami levelled at him.  
  
"So just what have you told her about me? I mean I doubt you told her you're sleeping with a twelve billion year old alien shapeshifter, so just to keep our stories the same."  
  
"We don't have time for this." Ami muttered.  
  
"Fine, I'll do it the quick way," Neko said, and before Ami could even begin to imagine what he meant he reached into her mind once again.  
  
"Oh." He said a few seconds later. "Well that was creative. You never actually lied but you can make the truth dance almost as good as Mori can Sprite."  
  
He looked at their sweaty, dishevelled appearance and quickly shook his head. Ami felt the wave of magical energy roll out of him. When it passed they and their clothing were totally spotless and straight to military precision. He grinned at her startled expression and spoke as he teleported them to her front door. "I do hate to make a bad first impression." It was all she could do not to laugh.  
  
********  
  
Setsuna sat alone in the darkness of her room. She had not ventured out all day and was getting quite hungry, but she ignored the growling of her stomach as she had countless other distractions in the long vigil she had stood at the 'Time Gates'.  
  
Time Gates. The name was a laugh. She was one of the greatest of the Senshi. Powerful, wise, trusted with sole guardianship of one of the most dangerous objects in the universe, pffft, her life was a bad joke.  
  
Powerful, hah. She had been ordered around by a cat of all things. Ordered not to do her job defending her princess against a threat more deadly than anything she had ever imagined before the Primarchs awoke. Her princess had agreed with the cat binding her against taking any action that would uphold the vows she made so long ago. Now she had even been stripped of the use of her staff. Without it she was less than nothing. She had no magic of her own, only that which she channelled from the weapon she had held for ten millennia. Her Senshi transformation may make her stronger and faster than any normal human could hope to be, but in a war like this she was worthless.  
  
Wise, she snickered at the thought. She had only known what she had allowed herself to. She had never foreseen the awakening of the Primarchs of the catastrophic destruction of her long crafted plans. She had worked for ten thousand years to bring about Crystal Tokyo. Neko had brought her plan to a crashing halt in seconds. All her wisdom had not been able to lead the Senshi to victory against their foes. Nothing she knew or could find out allowed her to turn the tide against them. She had played with time like a god since the destruction of the Moon Kingdom, and all her efforts had resulted to, was to bring into this time a lonely little girl whose home would now never come into being. Chibi-Usa was stuck here forever, an anomaly in the otherwise smooth flow of time.  
  
Trusted with the most dangerous object in the Universe, her mocking laughter at the thought of her duty was painful. Her charge was about as dangerous as a wiffle ball. She dearly wanted to go back in time and find the person that failed to pass on the information of just that the 'Time Gate' really was. In a few moments the truths the Primarchs had exposed had turned her from the most noble, mysterious and self-sacrificing of the Senshi, into a laughing stock. The others were too kind and respectful to laugh in her face, but she knew what they must have been thinking. 'Poor Setsuna, she simply spent forever in that horrid little subspace pocket guarding something completely worthless. Isn't it terrible?' She neither wanted nor needed their pity.  
  
Her pregnancy was the worst though. She knew Endymion had never touched her. Despite the fact that she would not have complained in the least mind you. She never told him just how badly she craved his touch. During the time of the Moon Kingdom she watched him from afar. Relations between the Earth and the Moon had been strained for centuries. The nobles of the two kingdoms mingled at times, giving her plenty of opportunities to see him, but for one of the Senshi to have an affair with the Prince of the Earth would have caused a tremendous scandal.  
  
The day she learned that Princess Serenity had flaunted tradition, thumbing her nose at the puffed up peacocks of the Lunar Royal Court, and practically ran off with the delectable Prince Endymion she had been torn. Half of her was proud of the spunk the little Princess had shown. There was no question anymore if the gentle girl would have the nerve to take the throne when her time was due. The other half was eaten alive with jealousy. She had watched Endymion for years. Going so far as to sneak away from training to teleport down to the earth and watch him work sword forms with his guardians. He had been the inspiration for most of her hormone driven teenage angst. He was nearly the same age as her, during the Moon Kingdom Endymion was close to ten years older than her Princess.  
  
When Beryl and Metallia attacked and destroyed the Moon Kingdom, she had sat aside, protecting the door that needed no such guardianship. She had watched helpless as Beryl drove a sword through the man she loved, into the girl she was supposed to defend with her life. She would have given nearly anything to trade places with Serenity then. Both to save Serenity's life and to be the one Endymion would sacrifice his own for.  
  
She had deliberately avoided watching Mamoru's life through the Gate. She could have done so much to ease his pain as a child, but her self imposed ignorance was her only defence against the pain she knew she would feel at losing him to Usagi. If she would have allowed herself to fall into the trap of watching him she would have never survived his and Usagi's first kiss.  
  
Usagi would never understand just how hard it was for her not to act when she realized what the other Senshi thought about her pregnancy. For the second time in her life she was torn with indecision about Endymion. Most of her wanted to smack Usagi for being so stupid. Mamoru may have done some foolish things in his life, but he was not and never would be stupid enough to cheat on her, especially with one of her own Senshi. The remaining darker part of herself wanted to lie and admit to being his lover. It would have driven an irreparable wedge into their relationship. Usagi would never forgive him for a betrayal of that magnitude. No woman with even a scrap of self respect would. Endymion would have been free. She could have waited patiently for him to get over the hurt of Usagi's anger, and once the time was right, used the love he would obviously have for the child they shared to bridge the gap between them.  
  
The idea was so mercenary, so cold, she hardly believed she had considered it. It was so tempting she had simply said nothing. She could have told Usagi the truth as soon as she understood what was going on, sparing her a week of agonized suffering over the possibility that the love of her life, her soulmate, had cheated on her. Setsuna allowed herself a brief, very brief, surge of glee at the thought. There were times she felt positively good about herself for allowing Usagi this opportunity to learn the depths of her love for Endymion. Yes she had spent a week wallowing in despair and self pity, questioning everything about herself from her looks to her caring nature, searching desperately for the flaw that would drive her soulmate to cheat on her, but after coming through the fire of doubt their love should burn even brighter. Besides, Setsuna got a thrill from imagining Serenity bawling her eyes out thinking about her with Endymion.  
  
She shook the dark thoughts from her head and reminded herself once again that Usagi was not Serenity, other than in the most basic of senses. Usagi, and even Serenity, had not intended to rip Setsuna's heart out of her chest and stomp on it, but Kami it felt good to get a little back.  
  
Setsuna supposed that she should get something to eat and do something about the critical need she had to use the bathroom, but she just did not feel like facing the pitying looks on the faces of the other girls out there. If she still had her staff's powers she would have just teleported to the bathroom, eliminating any chance of being seen. Of course she couldn't do that without Lor's support.  
  
It galled her that a man she didn't know, had never seen before, could reduce her to this. She didn't know exactly what happened but she did know that much like Endymion, Lor had never touched her. She was not an innocent. There was simply no way she would have remained sane during her long vigil without taking the occasional, and sometimes far more than occasional, lover.  
  
By her most conservative estimate she had probably averaged one lover a year. This of course didn't mean that she had only visited him once during that time, but it did give her a fairly accurate idea of just how much experience she had. She was certain however that Lor had never been one of them.  
  
Since the Senshi's reawakening she had remained depressingly celibate. There was always the tiny chance that Endymion might have preferred her this time around to the Princess. It would have been the bitterest irony had she lost her chance with him by being involved with some temporary and utterly meaningless relationship. It had been nearly three years since she felt the caress of someone else on her body. She wouldn't have forgotten breaking the longest streak of monogamy in her life since the fall of the Moon Kingdom.  
  
"You didn't." A voice intruded into her dark world.  
  
Setsuna was neither stupid nor forgetful. She instantly recognized Lor's voice and turned to face him in the darkness. He stood on the opposite side of the room from her. His aura wasn't in evidence, but he was still far more visible than her in the darkened room. His distinctive red and orange clothing contrasted sharply with his white-blond hair. He towered over her even at this distance. She privately noted that Lor was ridiculously tall and lanky. He looked quite like one of the many types of flightless birds, tall, slender, and somewhat fidgety.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked. Her intention was to sound aloof and disdainful, but she came across sounding like a little girl scared and alone in the dark.  
  
"To be your friend."  
  
"You are a bit late for that. I do not know about what it was like when you last were awake, but friends do not ruin their friends' lives and get them pregnant without their knowledge or consent."  
  
"I only gave you what you wanted. Was that so wrong of me? Setsu- chan, I heard every word you said from the first time you held the Staff. Many times over the centuries you asked why you were chosen out of all your sisters. The answer is I liked you. I could see that you would be able to control the awesome power of the staff without falling into corruption like the rest of them would. True you did eventually succumb, but you held your duty one hundred times longer than any other guardian ever has. You had to watch helplessly while everything you loved was torn away. I can understand your need to try to make sure it would never happen again. I forgive you for abusing the staff." He looked deeply into her eyes, easily seeing the pain she hid so carefully from the rest of the world.  
  
"I could have stopped you at any point had I wanted. I allowed you to do whatever you wanted. You created seventeen paradoxes in the last ten thousand two hundred fourteen years Setsu-chan. Every one of them caused me pain. I allowed it because you needed them. You needed the feeling of working towards a tangible future, without that you would have self destructed millennia ago."  
  
"Why? Why did you let this happen to me? Why did you not tell me about the Gate?"  
  
"Why didn't you help Mamoru as a child? You couldn't stand the pain. I couldn't stand the idea of losing you. Would you like to know what would have happened if you knew the truth about the gates when Beryl attacked? You would have rushed out to defend your Queen and Princess. Beryl would have known the power you represent instantly. You and Saturn were the only ones she feared. Unfortunately for you Beryl knew your weakness. Like you, she was smitten with him. When she drove that sword through his chest she fully intended on bringing him back once Metallia was victorious."  
  
"During the time that the girl who would become Beryl was in the flower of her youth, she constantly watched the Prince. More than once she noticed your presence, and knew you as her rival. If you had shown yourself during that battle she would have used Endymion as a hostage. No matter what you may believe now, at the time you would have lowered the staff to prevent his demise. Once you were defenceless she would have destroyed you. In that instant she would have won."  
  
"Without your presence, and the subtle manipulations you made in the time stream, Beryl would have awoken in this time to face a group of Senshi that were unprepared for her. Luna and Artemis would have never reawakened, Usagi would have known nothing of her destiny, as unlike the Senshi themselves she was never a warrior. The Senshi would have been fractured, lacking the spark of leadership and compassion that Usagi's tender heart provided. Rei and Makoto would have been unable to forge the friendship needed to unite, and Ami would have been destroyed before either of them ever met her. Mina would have died in England, never having become Sailor V. The Outers would have awoken to try to deal with the threat Beryl represented, but again that would have been without you. Haruka and Michiru would have had little difficulty in dispatching Beryl's youma, and even the generals would have fallen to their far greater power, yet Beryl, and Metallia would have devoured them. Finally Hotaru would have awoken far too early. At eleven she would have been completely incapable of controlling the abilities she possesses. She would have succeeded in destroying Beryl and Metallia, but she herself would have died, along with everyone on earth".  
  
"Your pain was not without cause Meiou Setsuna. Every tear you shed saved lives. I used my magic to grant you what your heart has cried for, for ten thousand years. I'm sorry if it hurts you, but I could think of no greater reward I could offer you than your deepest desire."  
  
Setsuna completely broke down. She wept openly from the raw emotional wounds Lor's words had torn in her. He stepped closer to her, moving slowly and carefully making his intentions obvious. She didn't resist when he pulled her into his arms, instead she wrapped hers around his neck and began to cry loudly on his shoulder. For the first time since before the fall of the Moon Kingdom, Meiou Setsuna found comfort, emotional comfort, in someone's arms.  
  
"I really have to go to the bathroom." She complained softly a short while later. They vanished from her room and appeared in a bathroom she didn't recognise. She moved as quickly as her body would allow given the circumstances but was stunned by Lor's continued presence in the room.  
  
"Excuse me." She said. "Can I have a bit of privacy please?" The beginnings of irritation laced her voice.  
  
"I hardly see what the point of that is. I've only been watching you for ten thousand years. I know what you look like naked better than you do."  
  
"That is irrelevant, there are some things that are done in privacy." She was truly in pain now. Whether or not he left she was going to have to relieve herself soon.  
  
"Fine, I'll wait right outside the door. When you get finished in here I'll see to getting you something to eat. The child you carry needs you to maintain healthy eating habits in order to prosper."  
  
Setsuna nodded and sighed in relief when he stepped out. She briefly dwelt on the likelihood that this was Lor's home. The décor was not nearly as ostentatious as Mori and Neko's, but it was very fine. She cleaned up and opened the door Lor of course was exactly where he said he would be. By the time the door was completely open he had already taken her by the hand and led her down a short hallway. The hall terminated in a small but well appointed kitchen. She was mildly impressed by the neat yet lived in feeling it had.  
  
"I'll apologize in advance if this doesn't come out quite right, but I've never actually cooked a meal before. I've seen it does millions of times of course, so I should do ok."  
  
"That depends on what you are trying to prepare." She said nervously.  
  
"I believe its one of your favourites, it's a type of puffer fish. I've seen you eat it many times, so you obviously enjoy it."  
  
Setsuna was truly afraid now. If he was making what she thought he was she was going to die. Only master chefs would even attempt to prepare Fugu, the slightest error and the meal would contain traces of the deadly poison the puffer used to defend itself. It was quite tasty, but she would not risk he life in the hands of an amateur.  
  
"No thank you Lor. How would you feel about a nice simple Greek dish? I can have one prepared in less than an hour."  
  
"No I think I'll just finish this. I mean it would be a shame to waste it once I've already started cooking it, correct?"  
  
Setsuna just whimpered. Half an hour later Lor set two plates on the table. One was considerably smaller than the other, having only a sampling of each of the dishes. He seated her in front of the larger meal and scooted her chair in like a gentleman. She eyed the deadly dinner with fear. Lor on the other hand immediately began to eat with obvious pleasure.  
  
"Lor if you made this wrong it will kill me and the baby." She tried to reason with him.  
  
"I didn't make it wrong Setsuna. I was only joking when I said I've never cooked before. Neko and I taught the Ulterran the art."  
  
She felt truly foolish. She knew he would not risk harming her unborn child. His choice of the most difficult and potentially fatal dish in Japanese cuisine should have been a glowing sign of his skill.  
  
All throughout the meal he kept up light conversation. She hardly noticed how much she had eaten before the plate was empty. Totally satiated she stood from the table and began to gather her dishes. She jumped with surprise when they simply vanished from her hands.  
  
"You're a guest here Setsu-chan. I can't have you trying to do something foolish like cleaning up. For me it's a snap, literally." To prove his point he snapped his fingers and the entire kitchen was spotless. The dishes were done and replaced back into their cupboards. The counters and table were shining and even the floor looked as if it had just been waxed.  
  
"That must come in handy after a party." She observed wryly.  
  
"It's had its uses."  
  
"Lor, answer me honestly. Why are you following me? Why have you been watching me?"  
  
"You don't want to know the answer to that."  
  
"I would not have asked if I did not want to hear it."  
  
"Then it should be obvious to you. I want you. I need you, much like you needed Endymion. For an eon I've felt the shadow of your touch transferred to me through the staff I gifted to your twelfth great grandfather. In that long waking dream I've craved the feeling of holding and being held by you. Most of what I've done since I awoke has been for one purpose, drawing you to me. I showed up for the battle to assure your survival. I will be brutally honest with you Setsu-chan, of the Primarchs I am by far the weakest, but Mori and Neko would have had to destroy me before I allowed them to truly hurt you."  
  
Setsuna did not know what to say. No one had ever said anything like that about her before. She shivered at some of his words. He claimed to crave her. She knew what it was like to crave someone's touch. She understood better than any mortal ever had the depth that longing could grow to over time.  
  
His eyes shone like sapphires in the fading evening light. She could just see the outline of her reflection in them. She thought the symbolism was poignant. She felt like little more than an outline. The need written clearly in his crystalline blue gaze made the decision for her. She stepped forward returning into his embrace and drew his lips down to her own.  
  
"You gave me something I would have gladly killed for, you were willing to protect me at the cost of your own life, and even this afternoon when I had only hatred for you in my heart, you came to me offering comfort, the contact I required to begin to shed my grief. You never asked me for anything, so please let me give you something. All I can offer you is me, and I can't even say for how long, but if you believe that I am the person you want, then I'm yours Lor."  
  
He pulled her deep into his arms and let his lips brush lightly over hers. In the fading light of the late evening, two lonely souls scared and confused by emotions neither had the slightest control over took their first tentative steps into something greater than they had ever imagined.  
  
********  
  
"Ami, Konjou-san, I am so glad you chose to come by." Ami's mother began the instant they came in the door. Ami winced at the less than polite greeting and readied herself for part two of last night's inquisition. "I talked to your father today Ami. I felt he needed to be appraised of what has been happening in your life." She stared hard at her nervous daughter and smiled a greeting at her companion. "I apologize for my temper Nekojin-san, but my daughter knows full well that she should have come straight home after school, and of course I expected she would have brought you to meet me long before getting in such a serious relationship."  
  
"I'm afraid most of that is probably my fault Mizuno-san. I asked her to help me deal with a problem that came up in school today, and she forgot entirely about our meeting."  
  
The elder Mizuno lifted an eyebrow at that and spoke again in a tone of voice nearly identical to Ami's own when mildly irritated. "And should I also assume that you are responsible for the rapidity in which my daughter has entered such a serious physical relationship?"  
  
Ami was doing her best to sink into the floor with embarrassment. She was clearly uncomfortable with her mother's directness. She would have given nearly anything to have kept the fact that she and Konjou were lovers from her mother. She just knew Konjou was going to say something to that would mortify her.  
  
"Actually no Mizuno-san, she decided all on her own to seduce me." He continued despite the look of horror at the admission on Ami's face. "I was just minding my own business when she started stalking me, then there was the hiding in the boys' locker room to peep, and of course the little bit of breaking and entering she did to actually get into my apartment. Believe me Mizuno-san I was completely innocent of doing anything to encourage her at first. Of course I have to be honest and say I didn't put up much of a fight once I noticed. Who wouldn't want a young woman as intelligent, beautiful and well. naughty as her?"  
  
Ami looked like she was about to die. Every bit of colour had drained out of her face and her eyebrow was twitching madly. Her hands ached to wrap themselves around his neck. Inside her head thoughts of how to extract herself from the hole Konjou had dug for her warred desperately with her desire to kill him. He mother seemed in complete shock, from both her daughters supposed behaviour and from the casual way Konjou had told the story.  
  
"Konjou." Ami gasped as the first semblances of control returned to her voice. "We need to have a bit of a talk about the things you said." She hissed fiercely.  
  
"Why it was all true, and besides there's really no reason for you worry about it. She knows your Sailor Mercury."  
  
Ami heard a soft thud just as she lost her grip on consciousness. Her remaining thoughts were that her mother must have fainted from shock. Good, she would have company.  
  
Ami awoke some time later. The familiar feeling of being wrapped in Konjou's arms comforted her somewhat, at least until she remembered the last thing he had said to her. Her eyes snapped open and scanned the room. She was still in her house, and was in fact curled into Konjou's lap on the large plush chair she loved to read in. Her mother sat on the other side of the room shaking badly while sipping a glass of steaming tea.  
  
"Ahh good Ami is back with us." Konjou said. He turned her face towards him and kissed her softly. She twitched in discomfort at being held so intimately in front of her mother.  
  
Mizuno-san lifted her eyes and stared disbelievingly across the room at her daughter. A small amount of guilt seemed to play at the edges of her eyes. Ami couldn't imagine what her mother had to feel guilty about.  
  
"Good," her mother began unsteadily, "I think I need to hear the truth. I already know bits and pieces but I am probably more confused now than I was yesterday." She admitted.  
  
Ami did not want to have this conversation. By telling her mother the whole truth she would be betraying her Princess and the rest of the Senshi, but one look at Konjou told her clearly that if she didn't tell her mother, he would. The last thing she needed was to have Konjou start conjuring illusions of past monsters and battles for her mother.  
  
Ami started at the fall of the Moon Kingdom, her explanation took hours, but once she got started the words seemed to flow of their own accord. Her mother's filled with tears at the heartbreak Usagi must have felt when Mamoru was taken just as they realized what they meant to each other. Her face contorted with pride and grief when she told of the final battle with Beryl. She shook her head in sorrow for the misguided children of the Doom Tree. She laughed at the little girl antics of Chibi-Usa, and again wept at her conversion into Black Lady. She narrowed her eyes when Ami described Crystal Tokyo and its founding, but looked on in wonder when Ami described the childhood connection between Usagi and Mamoru. When she told of the Death Busters and the horrors inflicted on the gentle Hotaru, her mother looked ill. She practically snarled at the callous actions of the Outers. She looked on her daughter with pride and love when she told of the Senshi's involvement with the return of the Missing children last year. The violence and hatred of Nehelania and her people shocked her and Ami's description of the Yuki's attack explained last year's odd freezing spell. Galaxia however shook her mother to the core.  
  
"Ami-chan." She whispered. Mizuno-san couldn't stand to be apart from her daughter any more. The long story had tugged on her heart in every way it could. She crossed the room and pulled her daughter, her only child into her arms. Konjou sat quietly as Ami's mother came to grips with the facts of her daughter's life. He could only watch in awe as the comforted each other. Mizuno-san had taken hard the information that twice her daughter had sacrificed all for the good of the world.  
  
"I knew you had to take risks as Sailor Mercury, Ami-chan, but I never knew just how bad it was." She whispered and kissed Ami on the forehead. After some time Mizuno-san was able to bring herself back under some impression of control. She shifted her attention to Konjou.  
  
"I did not hear her mention you in her story. How did you manage to come into her life and learn her secrets so quickly?" Mizuno-san seemed slightly hurt that he obviously knew her daughter better than she did.  
  
"Hmm. How to put this properly." Konjou thought for a moment and a small smile split his face. He threw a wink at Ami that had her looking at him in terror. In a flash Konjou was gone, he had resumed his proper form. "We met when your daughter was trying to kill my cousin. Of course she didn't notice me until later, I looked like a cat at the time, but that was where we first met."  
  
It took Neko less than ten minutes to paint a brief yet vivid picture of his involvement with the Senshi. His descriptions were laced with humour that almost completely hid the seriousness of his tale. Mizuno-san stood in awe of the casual tone he took as he described their meetings and a brief glimmer of the motivations.  
  
"So you can understand of course why Ami-chan decided to seduce me. Now that I let her catch me, I think I'll just keep her. In all my life I have never met anyone like her. Besides," he commented, "we need each other."  
  
"How old are you" she asked in a near whisper.  
  
"About twelve and a half, I'll be thirteen fairly soon."  
  
"You are only twelve! Ami how could you seduce a child! Just because he looks your age does not mean much, if he can change his appearance like that."  
  
"Mother, Neko is not talking about the same kinds of years you are. He's having a bit of humour at my expense. Neko, would you please stop trying to shock my mother and tell her how old you are in earth years?"  
  
"Ohh, you meant that. Sorry Mizuno-san, we Primarchs sort of measure out lifespans by the age of the Universe. To be honest I can't give you an exact count of earth years. The earth wasn't even a glimmer of an idea in Mori's head when I came into being. Also celestial mechanics was never my strong suit, and the earth is slowing down in both rotational and orbital speed over time. I can tell you that I'm nearly one third of our year's measurement younger than the other Primarchs, and Mori, who knows more about celestial mechanics than. well anyone. Says he's about twelve and three quarters billion years old. According to him it takes the universe about a billion years to complete a single rotation. Of course your scientists would probably disagree, but I know who I believe. The salient point is this. Lor, Mori, Jander, and Mordred are less than an attosecond younger than the Universe, so I've been around a long long time."  
  
"What are you." she whispered rhetorically.  
  
"The avatar of free will and conscious choice. The last thing Enkil, my father and one of the five beings that forged the Universe itself, made."  
  
Mizuno-san looked back and forth between her daughter, and the being she had brought home to meet her. She was so far out of her depth she couldn't even begin to start sorting out her feelings. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts she almost missed the look of longing Ami cast at him.  
  
The expression on her daughters face was heart-warming. Ami looked almost exactly as she herself had when she fell in love with Furuu. Her heart broke a little at the realization of how much her daughter had grown up, and how little time she had left before Ami started her own life. When the realization that the most normal thing in Ami's life was her obvious love for Neko, and the problems that love is universally known for, she knew what to do.  
  
"Niccolai-san? Our cultures are obviously very different and it worries me, I need to know what you intend to do about all of this."  
  
Neko knew what she was really asking. She was worried about her daughter, and the possibility that he would hurt her, not physically, emotionally. He smiled his reassurance to the wonderfully brave woman.  
  
"I love her Mizuno-san, for as long as she wants me, I'll be here."  
  
"In that case I think you should call me Joi," she replied. She reached out her hand and drew Neko into the circle of her arms along with her beloved daughter. It had happened far sooner than she had expected, but Mizuno Joi was happy for her daughter Ami. She held the amazing young woman she had long ago given birth to, and the incomprehensible being her daughter have given her heart to, and gloried in the love they shared.  
  
********  
  
Chibi-Usa sat on her mother's bed, her legs crossed and her chin resting in her palms which were propped up on her knees. She was frightened, confused, and worst of all, bored. Usagi hadn't come home from school. She called from Mamoru's over an hour ago to say she would be staying there for dinner.  
  
Chibi-Usa didn't want to face her parents or the Senshi just yet. She had a lot to think about. From what little she had been able to learn so far the Senshi were in trouble. They had lost against the Primarchs, and had pretty much given up. Ami and Mina seemed to have sided with the enemy, and Hotaru looked like she was cosying up to the scary red head. Only Rei looked like she was ready to continue the fight, and even she looked like she was mooning over that Mori guy. What she needed was to talk to Artemis and Luna. There was no way they would have really surrendered. They were probably just getting the Primarchs to trust them so they could learn how to defeat them.  
  
She knew somewhere in the bag Setsuna had stuffed into her hands when she pushed her through the Gates was more than likely some clue why she was really here. She didn't claim to know as much about time as Pu, but it didn't make any sense to her at all how she could be here if the future she came from didn't exist anymore. She remembered what happened when Nehelania captured Mamoru. She had begun to vanish. If her timeline was truly gone she should be too.  
  
The thought that things were obviously still on track for Crystal Tokyo cheered her immensely. She reached down to the floor and picked up the cute pink backpack Pu had given her. She got the shock of her life when she finally worked its zipper open. Curled up and hissing in the mostly full bag was a very obviously angry grey cat.  
  
"Usa do you have any idea what its like to be trapped in a bag all day?" Diana hissed in fury as she crawled out of the small bag.  
  
"Umm no?"  
  
"Die!" the cat screamed as it dived on the pink haired teen with all claws extended.  
  
Even through her shrieks of pain Chibi-Usa felt relieved. Diana was her advisor and confidant together they would find a way to help the Senshi overcome this threat. She grinned at the thought of telling Diana about Elios. Diana knew Chibi-Usa was smitten with him last time she was here. Now that he was grown up he looked even better. Maybe that's why she was here, to meet the man she was to marry, and to use their combined power to overthrow the evil Primarchs. She giggled at the romantic thought and fell into her daydreams of heroic actions and stolen kisses.  
  
********  
  
Elios floated within the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds where he spent much of his time, as usual he was observing the goings on in the physical world. In this instance he was watching his bride to be, covertly. She was undeniably beautiful. Her laughter was like the sound of bells and her red eyes were soft with warmth and compassion.  
  
Like her mother she wore her cotton candy pink hair in the strange hairstyle the Lunari women had used since the founding of their line. It was odd but it seemed somehow right for her. Physically she was everything he could ever want in a bride. Even as a child it was obvious what she would grow up to look like. Privately he admitted that she had been the star attraction of countless wet, sticky, fantasies since he realized what she would one day become. All that would be perfect except for one dramatic down side. She was a total flake.  
  
Unlike Usagi, Chibi-Usa had grown up knowing she was a princess. Never in life before or after her arrival here was she required to do anything for herself. Where she came from she was everyone's darling. Pampered, spoiled, and demanding she had gotten everything she had ever wanted. In her mind she was the star of her own little melodrama that was her life. She couldn't conceive of the reality that she might actually have no control of the situation.  
  
Part of Elios was overjoyed at the thought of the little princess. Her caring nature and he looks stirred both his heart and his manhood, but they were both Ulterran. They would live for thousands of years, assuming he found a way to shut her up. If he didn't she would drive him insane within six months, and he would just have to kill her.  
  
Mori has a sick sense of humour, he thought once again and sat back watching his bride to be with her closest friend. He wondered when she would decide to shower.  
  
********  
  
Mina stared angrily at Mori. He had to be the worst teacher in the universe. She knew she wasn't as smart as Ami, but she was doing her best.  
  
"Mori, I'm trying to do what you're telling me to, but it's really hard. Please don't scream at me." She said. The beginnings tears filled her eyes. She was frustrated by her own lack of success and hurt by Mori's callous attitude.  
  
"Mina that's the problem, this isn't hard. This is easy magic. The spell Iria used on you. Prism Lance, that's hard. If you tried casting that spell like you've been with the simple Force Chains or Kinetic Razors it would flash boil your blood from the backlash."  
  
"Well I'm sorry!" she screamed bursting into tears. "I'm just not that good ok. I'm not smart enough for you to teach me magic I guess."  
  
"Oh Mina," he said pulling her into his arms. She struggled for a few seconds then held still with anger and self pity. "I know it's hard for you, I have trouble thinking about it from your perspective. We were created knowing how to do things like this Mina-chan."  
  
"It's not just you." Mina wailed turning into his embrace. "Ami did so much better than me, she always does. She made a brighter aura, she changed faster, and she turned into Mako-chan exactly, even down to the little birth mark on her. err forget about that. Its just I can't compete." The sounds of her sobbing drove sharp daggers of shame into Mori.  
  
"Mina, do you know why she was glowing brighter than you?"  
  
"No." she sniffed  
  
"Because she was angry, very angry with me. Right now neither of you has that much control of those powers. The more out of control your emotions are the more your subconscious mind can guide and control the energies. Do you want to know how she changed so quickly?" When she nodded Mori continued gently while stroking her hair. "Because no matter how needlessly jealous you are of Umi, you have nothing on the jealousy Ami has for Makoto."  
  
"Makoto was the first girl Ami knows that touched Neko. They were obviously happy together, and you saw how much they wanted each other. The only reason they broke up was Neko messed up and scared her. Ami is terrified that deep down Neko still wants Makoto instead of her." Mina's eyes widened in understanding at Mori's words.  
  
"Ami has always been the girl in the background. Hardly anyone even noticed she was there before you girls came along. When she thinks about herself all she remembers is a shy, overly intelligent girl with few friends and nothing that would attract and hold a person like Neko. We both realize how silly that is. Ami is a beautiful sweet girl that could have nearly anyone she set her sights on, but she looks at Makoto and sees someone she believes is infinitely more attractive than herself, and remembers that Neko was hers first."  
  
"Mina you didn't do as well because you have more self confidence. You realise you're beautiful and parts of your mind were fighting against your attempts to become Umi." He paused to plant a kiss on her forehead and looked down into her wondering expression. "By the way, just what delusion makes you think that Umi is more attractive than you anyway?"  
  
"Well, she's taller." Mori grinned and shrank down in height until his head was just even with her shoulders. "She's better built." Mori giggled when he tried to place his now much smaller hand over her breast. Given his truly small size even at full span his fingers couldn't completely cover it. He looked pointedly at her and rolled her nipple once he made sure she noticed. "And she has such pretty hair." Mori laughed outright as he resumed his normal size.  
  
"Her hair? You're jealous of her hair? Mina you look like a sunrise, all golden and beautiful. Your eyes are the colour of the summer sky. You have no idea how long it took me to get the air and sun just right to make it that particular colour. Your breasts are perfect. I love the way they stay firm against you. I love the way your small candy pink nipples tighten into pebble hard peaks when I touch you. If I was disappointed in you do you think I would have ever touched you in the first place?" Her body was humming with desire from the way his hands and words had combined as he caressed what he described.  
  
"You're like a little piece of perfection Mina-chan. Dallak, you make me hot just by looking at me. It was everything I could do not to take you across your desk in Math class today when you started chewing on your pencil." He drew in a deep breath as he continued. "And it's not just a sexual thing either. You are the first person I have ever stayed with in bed after the deed. I think about you at least half a million times a day when you're not with me. When I look at you I have concentrate to keep my heart beating. You drive away the violence that I can always feel bubbling just under the surface of my skin. Most important though is this. Until I met you I never really understood what my servitors meant when they said they were lost in love with someone. I knew the words, but not the feeling. Ever since you came into my life it's been like an epiphany. It all makes sense now. I love you Aino Minako, now and forever."  
  
"What about Rei."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I asked you what about Rei. I know what happened at the park the night before our battle. She told me. I don't know if she did it to try to get me to break up with you, or to try to make herself feel better about wanting you, but she told me."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Do you know how bad that hurt Mori?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How? How could you know? I have never done anything like that to you. I didn't throw myself at Neko or Mordred. I haven't gone around the school passing around sexual favours like gum drops. How could you know?"  
  
"Because Mina-chan I have been inside your head. I know every memory you have, from your vague fuzzy images of watching birds sing outside the sitting room window where you first lived, to the instant I probed your mind. I remember not only your own feelings for the boys you repeatedly fell for, but how it made me feel to see you trying again and again to find someone that could fill the empty space in your heart."  
  
"You will never understand how futile I felt as I watched you attempt over and over to find love. I'll tell you that the man in England, Allen, is still alive because he didn't realise that you cared for him. The worst though for me to see was Yaten. There's only one reason I haven't gone to Kinmoku and erased Yaten from existence. Jander already did. Had I have gotten my hands on Yaten I would have skinned it alive and filled the skin with helium and carried it around like a balloon. Make no mistake Mina- chan I know how badly that hurt."  
  
"Do you still want her?" Mina said in a near whisper. Mori felt a hard pulse of magical energy and in a fraction of a second he found himself holding Rei, or at least a Rei shaped Mina. Her lavender eyes looked up at him filled with hurt fear and longing. The potent combination of vulnerability and desire curled together inside of him. He leaned his head back and growled deep in his chest.  
  
"In some was yes I still want her Mina-chan, but you really should take notice of with whom I spend my time. Whose lips do I kiss? Who do I say I love you to?" He was becoming agitated. Rei's face wearing that trembling fearful and aroused look, with Mina's spirit behind it was drawing on two of his desires at the same time. "Mina I suggest you change back before I do something to you we will both hate me for. Right now you're offering me yourself and Rei at the same time."  
  
"Do you think Rei is more beautiful than me?'  
  
"No Mina-cha that's not what I said." He growled. His control was wearing very thin. "I said I love you. Yes I think Rei is beautiful, yes her body turns me on, but even if I pushed you against the wall and did unspeakable things to you right now." He paused momentarily to try to compose himself. "It would still be you I was making love to. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes." She said simply and Mina still wearing the appearance of Rei brought her mouth down onto Mori's neck and began to kiss him in a way she knew from personal experience was guaranteed to please him.  
  
Mori spun around and slammed her against the wall roughly. Her bracelet flashed as it absorbed the bone crushing force, and neither of them even noticed. His eyes flashed and her school fuku disintegrated, along with her underclothes. She was instantly gloriously naked.  
  
Mori paused and drank in the sight of Rei's body. Her long legs were just the tiniest bit more muscular than Mina's Her hips were the exact same width, her flat belly just a tad longer than Mina's, and her skin was a few shades lighter. Her long silky black hair shimmered down over her shoulders and back, held in place incongruently by the silver ribbon she would never wear.  
  
"Like what you see?" she asked. She thrust her chest out slightly despite the tight hold he had on her. Rei's breasts were a little larger than her own and her nipples were considerable darker, though not much larger.  
  
"You have no idea how close you are to me completely losing control Mina. If you want to be assured of not needing healing magic in a few hours I recommend you change back." His voice was tight with the strain.  
  
"I'll take my chances." She said. She had never seen him like this before. She wanted to know what it would be like to be with him when he lost control.  
  
She would never complain about their lovemaking, but always when they came together it was gentle, if intense, and she could feel the tight control he kept on his passion. She wanted to break that control.  
  
She squirmed free of his grip enough to bring his head down to hers, she could feel him trembling with suppressed desire. She allowed her now slightly callused hands to stroke down his chest. He quivered at the contact and clenched his eyes shut.  
  
"Mori," she said knowing that even her voice sounded like Rei's, "Don't you want me? Don't you want to know what it would feel like to have me wrapped around you? To be inside me feeling the heat we make together?"  
  
A rumbling growl resonating deep within his chest was her only warning. They vanished from magical practice room they had been in all evening and materialized in Mori's bedroom. He threw her on the bed with a violence that was no longer restrained in the slightest. His mouth attacked her neck and shoulders, drawing the sensitive skin between his teeth where he bit down hard enough to frighten her. The sensation was part pain, part ecstasy, and she couldn't even begin to separate the two.  
  
Her rolled her onto her stomach, and pinned her to the bed with his body. He fisted his right hand into her hair and pulled her head back to his lips. Her back bowed from the movement, allowing him to trace the fingers of his other hand over her ribs. Normally the contact would have caused her to dissolve into helpless giggles, but right then it nearly caused her to come unglued. She gasped at the force of feelings the simple contact had brought about. He craned his neck and captured the front of her throat with teeth and lips. He grazed dangerously hard, shaking her with the duality of fear and arousal.  
  
"Mori, Kami-sama this is." She never got a chance to finish her words.  
  
He let go of her hair and her head fell back to the bed. He drug his hand down her back, his fingernails leaving long white lines just short of being scratches. She convulsed at the sensation and once again tried to gather her breath to speak. Both of his hands moved to her sides and scraped up and over the sides of her breasts. He cuffed his hands over her arms and rubbed all the way down to her fingers.  
  
"Mori." she moaned.  
  
He flipped her over onto her back and buried his face into her belly. The combination of hot breath, wet lip, and teeth had her rubbing her legs together trying to ease the almost painful yearning he had aroused. With a quick movement he was on his knees poised between her thighs. Deprived of the ability to rub her legs together she thrashed back and forth whimpering with need.  
  
"Please Mori, Kami-sama please." Mori was still totally silent save for the sound of his breathing.  
  
He leaned down and brought his mouth to bear on the skin just beneath her breast. The feeling was indescribable, she tried to scoot down and rub her heat against his thigh but he stilled her with his hands. Just when she thought she would die from the attention, he moved up to take a nipple into his mouth.  
  
At that same instant he began to run his hands over and across every inch of her body. She was coated lightly in sweat and the dampness allowed him to move quickly. No part of her was spared his caress except the one part she would have slain worlds for him to touch. He worked her into a fever pitch she couldn't stay still in the least. Her hands pushed weakly against his trying to guide him to where she desperately needed him to be, but it was futile.  
  
He bit down on her nipple and the lines between pleasure and pain vanished, there was only need and sensation. She screeched and arched her back as hard as she could, seeking more, demanding that he give her what she knew she would die without.  
  
There was no warning, one instant he was wrapping his arms around her lifting her higher to feast deeply on her breasts, and the next he was fully inside of her. She peaked instantly, shaking screaming and crying in his arms. All throughout her spasming he pumped quickly and fiercely into her.  
  
The feeling was strange. Her borrowed form wasn't quite the same. Her channel was slightly shorter than she was used to, making her insides stretch and ache as he drove remorselessly in and out of her.  
  
He sat up on his knees pulling her into his lap and the sensations changed again, with a violence that shook her like an earthquake. His long fast strokes into her now rubbed across her centre with every motion. His every breath and heartbeat was channelled directly to her core. He abandoned her nipples and again moved back to her neck. He bit down on the sensitive skin above her collarbone, and she squealed and her contracting muscles brought her right back to the edge of the world.  
  
She began to hyperventilate and her gasps for air drew his lips back to her heaving breasts like a magnet. Again he began to feast leaving reddened marks of passion in his wake. His thrusts became erratic and she knew he was at the brink she squeezed down hard on him with her inner muscles and an instant later he was lost. She felt him explode inside of her, and the golden radiance that surrounded them was incredible. She briefly took that she also was glowing, before he resumed his rapid deep thrusts.  
  
"Mori?" she questioned worriedly. He ignored her tone and with a light pop she found herself supported in mid air by his arms and hips. Mori stood facing the wall. When he noticed she had taken in her new surroundings he turned her to face away from him without ever pulling out. She pushed her legs down to the ground to help balance herself and quickly found her face and hands against the wall.  
  
"You're in for a long night Mina-love" he said and resumed his plundering of her body.  
  
********  
  
Ami watched as Neko entertained her mother with simple little tricks during dinner. Causing the silverware to dance was a cute idea, but he went a bit overboard when pieces of the meal started acting out bits from Noh theatre. Still he had made her mother laugh, and that was something she hadn't seen in a long time.  
  
"Joi-san" he said once the dishes had washed themselves and taken a bow. "Ami-chan tells me you're a doctor, and that your greatest regret is that there are people that despite your skill there is nothing you can do. I want to help you."  
  
"Neko-san, I really do not believe my patients would be very happy to see you. It is not like I want to be rude or refuse your assistance, but it would probably be better if you do not."  
  
"No no, what I meant, was will you allow me to teach you what I know. I know more about human anatomy and physiology then you're specie is like to learn before it self destructs."  
  
"My that was pessimistic." Ami said with a smirk.  
  
"Just being realistic Sprite." He said and kissed her. She blushed in embarrassment at being kissed in front of her mother. "Joi-san There's something else I can do to help you as well. Can I borrow your hand for a second?"  
  
Joi held out her hand with a strange expression on her face, and was very surprised when a plain silver ring appeared on her middle finger.  
  
"Don't take that in the wrong way, it's not a proposal." He said with a grin. "That ring will allow you to heal people by touch. It will only work a couple of times a day before going dormant, and it wouldn't be a good idea on people that had a limb cut off or anything, but it would do wonders in the emergency room, and there's no disease or infection you're likely to encounter that it couldn't cure, unless of course Jander shows up for a visit."  
  
"How."  
  
"You just touch them, making sure that the ring is in contact with you and them at the same time, and you think about healing them. You picture them being healthy, and it happens. Of course it will only work for you or Ami. Anyone else in the world could put it on and all it would do is look pretty."  
  
"Thank you Neko-san." She said still looking a little stunned.  
  
"You're very much welcome. Now, do you want me to teach you what I know?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Neko, just how are you planning to teach her? You're not going to do what you did to teach me Aleph, are you?" His grin was answer enough. "Masaka. mother I'm going to go get you some aspirin, you'll need it."  
  
Neko leaned down and lightly brushed the seated woman with his hand. Flame and waves of agony raced through her. She screamed again and again, and the pain continued unabated. Finally after what felt like hours of torture she opened her eyes. Neko was standing there with a smile on his face.  
  
"There that wasn't so bad was it?" She had the sudden desire to perform a tracheotomy on him with a spoon. "It only took a couple of seconds to teach you everything there is to know about the human body. Can you believe it took almost an hour to teach Ami Aleph? Compared to human anatomy Aleph is nearly impossible."  
  
Joi's heart went out to her daughter. If that was what a few seconds felt like she did not want to even think about an hour. She would have either gone mad or died from the pain if that had gone on much longer. Strangely she didn't seem to have the residual headache she would have assumed she would from her daughter's statement. She was however very thirsty.  
  
She stood to get a drink and the headache she believed she escaped slammed into her. A wave of pain induced vertigo slammed into her, and she reached out blindly for something to break her fall. She just managed to catch herself on the display case she kept her collection of ornamental plates in. It shook with the force of her impact and one the plates at the top, a sharp edged bronze platter painted with Shinto phrases, fell off. She tried to call out a warning to Neko, who was moving to assist her, but it was too late. The sharp edge of the bronze platter struck on the shoulder and sliced in deeply.  
  
Neko had a look of complete shock on his face. He couldn't believe it. The bronze went through every defence he had and carved his flesh like a scalpel. He threw his head back and screamed in agony. He leapt away from the still falling platter and was on the other side of the room before it ever hit the floor.  
  
He was in unbelievable pain. Unlike the rest of the Primarchs his allergen was a highly common metal, also unlike them he could actually touch his allergen without a real adverse effect. It could still slice through any defences he could erect, and even the smallest traces of it in him would render him powerless. Worst of all though was just how long it took to heal. Among the Primarchs he was easily the fastest healer. The Senshi could have torn him apart coated his body in gasoline and lit him on fire, and he would have been perfectly healthy before the smoke cleared. The agonizing seven centimetre long bone deep cut would take a week or more to heal.  
  
Ami was in the room like a shot out of a gun. The sound of the platter hitting the floor had yet to die in the air before she realised what happened. She dashed over to Neko and began to take him into her arms. She was shocked when he literally slapped her hands away.  
  
"Don't," he said through clenched teeth, "Remember what happened to Mina. If you touch this thing it will drain you."  
  
"Bronze?" Ami asked with a hint of disbelief.  
  
"Can we not talk about it."  
  
"Mother I have to get Neko home, and can you make sure we don't have anything else made of bronze in the house. Neko has a bit of trouble with it."  
  
"Sure," she said vaguely and wandered off in the direction of the bathroom still clutching her head.  
  
"Well are you going to teleport us back to your apartment?" Ami asked after a moment.  
  
"You're going to have to hang on a minute Sprite, this hurts bad enough that I'm having a bit of trouble concentrating. If I tried to teleport us we'd probably end up in the floor, or on Mars."  
  
"Who knows, she might like it." Ami said trying to lighten them mood.  
  
"You are so not helping."  
  
"Sorry, there is one thing that might. I can guarantee you I like it when your on Mercury." After a moment she stood and helped him to his feet. "If you can't teleport we'll just walk. It's a nice night anyway."  
  
The got less than two blocks from Ami's house when the sky suddenly filled with clouds and the downpour began.  
  
"Remind me to kill Mori when we get back." Ami said pushing her wet bangs out of her eyes.  
  
Fifteen fun filled minutes later they arrived at the apartment, soaked to the skin and very annoyed with the obvious cause for the supernatural storm.  
  
"You know it was kind of strange, normally Mori's storms have a lot more lightning in them." Ami mused as they stripped out of their wet clothing in Neko's bathroom.  
  
"That's because this storm is coming from something besides anger." Neko muttered still in quite a bit of pain.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, I've seen something like this more than a few times. Let's just say Mina might not make it to class tomorrow." Ami suddenly became very interested in her toes.  
  
When Neko had finished removing the last of his sodden garments he trudged over to the bed and lay down heavily. He looked through the still open door to his private bath at a sight he would never grow tired of. Ami slowly and carefully dried herself off with the fluffy blue towel. With long seductive strokes she seemingly caressed herself all with the nominal excuse of getting warm.  
  
"Sprite, you're killing me here."  
  
"Why don't we do something about it?" She said softly, he words were like a caress on his skin, even from across the room.  
  
"Because no matter how badly I want to make love to you, I'm in no condition to get physical?"  
  
"My, that could be a problem. I really want you right now." Her voice had taken on a teasing, seductive tone, and while he was most assuredly not up to playing an active roll, certain parts of him were patently unaware of that fact.  
  
"Sprite." he said warningly.  
  
"You could always just lay back and let me do the work." She suggested mischievously. "I even promise not to touch your shoulder." She had swayed into the room and up to the bed during her suggestion. Her movements drew his eyes irresistibly to her. "What do you think Neko- chan?" She whispered as she crawled across the bed to straddle his hips.  
  
"I think that if you don't I'll probably die from wanting you."  
  
For the first time ever in their lovemaking Ami led the dance. Their sighs mingled and bodies intertwined, but the heat built slowly. As they neared the edge of oblivion their aura's emerged and mingled, lifting them higher than they had ever flown before. When the gentle loving spasms finally subsided Ami curled on this chest and gazed out towards the balcony doors with tears of joy in her eyes.  
  
It was the tears that almost caused her to miss the shadowy figure peering through the blinds. She screamed in warning and reacted in a surprising manner.  
  
Ami had spent a good portion of her day being instructed in magical theory. She had almost three years of battles with nasty otherworldly creatures guiding her reflexes. Ami rolled off of Neko and quickly chanted in Aleph, making sure to force the energy she summoned into the proper mental construct.  
  
"/Cryosurge!/"  
  
The person hiding on the balcony was fast, but it was just shy of impossible to evade a properly cast spell. He had hardly taken a step before finding everything below his chin encased in a solid block of super- dense ice.  
  
"/Phaselock./" Neko growled preventing the intruder from escaping magically by teleportation.  
  
Ami stalked over to the door, heedless of her nudity, and whipped it open to see what they had caught. She expected to see a 'loth, or possibly a demoded, what she saw was even worse.  
  
"You!" She growled, quickly summoning the power for another spell. She wouldn't worry about sparing his life, as far as she was concerned he was already dead. She had no idea what had happened, or how he was resurrected, but there was no way she would let him get away.  
  
"Mercury-chan, please I'm not here to hurt you. I haven't done anything wrong." At her cold expression he looked past her to Neko with a terrified expression.  
  
"Do you have any last words before I kill you, again, and hopefully for good this time Zoicite?"  
  
"Neko-sama! Please help me!" The bishonen one time general of the Dark Kingdom pleaded with the man who had offered him and his fellows a second chance.  
  
********  
  
Iria popped into being with no fanfare this time. She couldn't risk alerting the Senshi to her presence before she completed the first part of her plans. It wouldn't take them long to find her once she began a summoning, so that too was pushed back for now. First she had to gather the one crystal she was certain of the location to. 


	10. Shadows

Chapter 10: Shadows  
  
Ami glared Zoicite with loathing. She was a hairsbreadth away from freezing him solid and knocking him off the balcony when Neko gently took hold of her hands, interrupting her spell.  
  
"Hold on a moment Sprite, don't kill him until he has a chance to explain."  
  
Ami glared at her lover, and then finally realized that she was completely naked in front of her enemy. She quickly willed her Senshi transformation, and was adequately clothed in her fuku before Neko had more than directed his gaze, once again, to the trapped former Dark General.  
  
"Zoicite, what in the hell do you think you're doing? What part of 'guard the Senshi from harm' have you misconstrued into 'peek on Ami's and my sex life like a total hentai'?"  
  
"I'm sorry Neko-sama I just. I just needed to see her."  
  
"Neko, what's going on? How do you know this worthless hentai disease pustule?" Ami asked harshly. The fact that she was using such derogatory language spoke volumes about her feelings concerning the blond.  
  
"A moment please, Sprite." Neko said gently before turning to impale Zoicite with his eyes. "Well Zoicite, I'm waiting."  
  
"Neko-sama, you know how I feel about her. I had to see her. I know what you told me, but no matter what orders you give you can't make my heart stop loving her." Zoicite turned and gave a pleading look to Ami as he continued. "I know it's been thousands of years to you, and I know what you must think of me, but Mercury-chan to me it's been less than a week since I held you in my arms. I know what happened after I was captured Mercury-chan, but I didn't do it. It wasn't me." He pleaded with his past lover for understanding.  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick." Ami said venomously. She turned her gaze to Neko. Her eyes were nearly glowing with anger. "Please tell me you didn't do what I think you did."  
  
"And what would that be Sprite?"  
  
"You brought them back didn't you? Is this the answer you and Mori came up with?" Her voice was getting louder and very angry. "Did the two of you bring them back? Well did you?"  
  
"Yes, and we had a very good reason."  
  
"Oh I think I can make a good guess what your reasons must have been. Do you honestly think that Rei or Makoto would give them any consideration? If you think I'm angry you can't even imagine how Rei will react."  
  
"Neko-sama will you please release me? The cold." In a flash the ice prison disintegrated and Zoicite fell to the ground.  
  
"Don't move." Neko ordered. "Sprite I went through both Makoto's and your own memories trying to learn everything I could about who I could find for her. You wouldn't believe how few people there are in existence that Makoto or Rei could respect in combat. Even fewer of them could be trusted with the knowledge of what you girls are, and of all of the possibilities only Jedite and Nephrite have a chance of wining their love."  
  
"You're insane. Makoto will hang and gut Nephrite on sight, and Rei. well at least you won't have to worry about a funeral for Jedite, she'll burn him to ash."  
  
"Sprite please listen to me, there are things about them you don't understand."  
  
"And just why did you bring Zoicite back. I could understand bringing Jedite and Nephrite, but you have to know who Zoicite was during the Moon Kingdom."  
  
"He was your lover. He was one of the four guardians of Prince Endymion, and the hereditary ruler of one quarter of the Earth. Endymion's family ruled over them from the Isle of Atlantis, or /Solitude/. I know exactly who he is, and the only reason I haven't killed him for spying on us is because I understand his feelings."  
  
"Why did you bring him back?" She repeated angrily.  
  
"Because like the Senshi they were a team. Without Zoicite or Kunzite they would have faltered and failed."  
  
"Kami-sama you brought back Kunzite too? You are crazy. You have to know he and Mina were lovers. Mori will go ballistic."  
  
"Mori knows, and he helped me bring them back. Trust me Sprite, I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Neko-sama?"  
  
"Ahh Zoicite, what am I going to do with you?"  
  
"Neko-sama I apologize for being seen, but my lord I couldn't help myself."  
  
"Yes, just like you couldn't help yourself from falling into Beryl's hands and betraying me right Zoicite?" Ami spat. The bishonen man flinched at the raw hatred in Ami's voice.  
  
"Sprite you don't understand. He wasn't just brainwashed like Mamoru was. He was possessed. Someone under mind control can only be pushed so far. No matter how strong the control you can't be forced to do something completely against your will. This of course means two things. One, the Guardians were possessed, there's no other way Beryl could have forced them to kill the women they loved. Two, somewhere deep inside him, Mamoru wanted to hurt Usagi." Ami's eyes narrowed in barely controlled rage.  
  
"The best way to tell mind control from possession is does the victim remember anything? Someone who was possessed, like Zoicite here, will remember nothing. Whereas Mamoru. Well you get the idea."  
  
"I don't want to hear this." Ami said just a tad less harshly then before. "This has got to be the worst idea you have ever had Neko. I refuse to be a party to this stupidity. When you get done talking to the traitor let me know. I'm going home." Ami concentrated as hard as she could on the mystic pattern Neko had briefly shown her that afternoon. She focused all of her will on its perfect form, and pictured its ending point. With a small pop she teleported home.  
  
"You do realize Zoicite that if she made an error trying to teleport she will more than likely die. Do you know who I'll blame for that?" His voice though pleasant carried an edge of lethal intent.  
  
"Yes my lord."  
  
"Now, I know you've been following her ever since we brought you back, and so far I haven't said anything about it, but this time you went too far. First, you exposed yourself, jeopardizing both the mission and the safety of your companions. Second, you were spying on the woman I love when she was unclothed. You made her feel uncomfortable and cheapened the beauty of her and my time together, that I won't forgive." Neko's eyes flashed silver-blue and Zoicite found himself in the living room of the apartment he shared with the rest of Endymion's Guardians. He had only the briefest of instants to marvel at the change of scene before the agony hit him.  
  
********  
  
School the next day was a nightmare. Ami knew they were out there watching her and the other Senshi, but she couldn't decide whether or not to tell Mina and Usagi what she had learned.  
  
Neko had been wrong, Mina had made it to class, but there was no doubt that she had had a rough night. She moved slightly stiffly, and she looked rather tired. Ami knew just how rough it must have been considering that Mina's bracelet had the same defensive capabilities as her own anklet, and neither of them needed more than two hours of sleep a night anymore. Ami was slightly jealous that Mina's night had obviously gone that much better than her own.  
  
It was Neko's expression during English class that finally made the decision for her. He looked so proud of himself, so insufferably arrogant and convinced that he knew better than she did how her friends would react, that she resolved to prove him wrong. She only had to wait until lunch to spread the news.  
  
When lunch finally came around a few hours later she quickly got Mina and Usagi's attention and made it clear that she needed to speak to them alone. Mina looked at her quizzically, but Usagi seemed to understand her intention instantly. They made their excuses to Makoto and Rei and quickly headed off to a quiet corner of the courtyard.  
  
"What is it Ami?" Mina asked sleepily when they were out of earshot of everyone.  
  
"I found out what Mori and Neko are doing about the situation you brought up Usagi."  
  
"Really?" The blonde girl asked excitedly. "Are they almost ready? How long will it take for the girls to meet them? Do you know who they are?" The whole series of questions came out in a nearly indecipherable single breath.  
  
"I know who they found, and you won't like it."  
  
"Who is it Ami?" Mina asked again yawning.  
  
"The Generals."  
  
"Huh?" Came the response from the two blondes.  
  
"They resurrected Beryl's generals. Apparently when they rooted around in our heads they found the memories from the Moon Kingdom and decided that if Makoto and Rei loved them once then they could fall for them again."  
  
"They brought back Jedite and Nephrite?" Mina asked aghast. Usagi just stood staring at Ami dumbfounded.  
  
"Not just those two, they brought them all back." Ami replied.  
  
Mina's face was a study. Her eyes narrowed in anger and her upper lip curled in distaste. Usagi on the other hand was still confused.  
  
"I don't understand. They know how we feel about Beryl's generals. Why would they do something like that?"  
  
"They brought back Kunzite?" Mina asked in a very controlled voice.  
  
"Yes Mina, and Zoicite too."  
  
"I really need to find my Moon Sword." Mina muttered looking positively murderous.  
  
"I'm going to go talk to them." Usagi said with determination. "Their idea won't work and it will hurt Mako-chan and Rei-chan's feelings. I won't let those boys do that."  
  
Usagi marched across the courtyard with Ami and Mina flanking her like the guards they were. As expected all three resident Primarchs were sitting with the other Senshi. Makoto seemed very happy, but was sitting far too close to Konjou for Ami's taste. Rei sat a bit away from the group looking wistfully at Tenjin, who was so engrossed in conversation with Hotaru, Michiru, Haruka and Hikage that he didn't appear to notice.  
  
"Tenjin I need to talk to you and the other boys for a minute. It's sort of private." She finished casting a look at the other girls.  
  
Tenjin shrugged and got to his feet with a quick grin that clearly said 'let's placate the child'. Konjou met Ami, Mina and Usagi's chilly expressions and wondered for the first time if they had done the right thing. Hikage on the other hand didn't move from his position of holding Hotaru in his arms.  
  
"Hikage are you coming?" Usagi asked sounding slightly irritated.  
  
"This has nothing to do with me. I was neither consulted on the matter, nor did I have anything to do with its implementation. Besides, I already know what you have to say, and how the situation will end. My presence is irrelevant." It took Usagi a moment to sort through his language but her long years with Ami and Setsuna, and the recent flood of memories from the Moon Kingdom, allowed her to understand without Ami translating it for her.  
  
"Okay." She said and the little group walked towards a secluded portion of the school grounds.  
  
"What was that all about?" Makoto asked the instant they were out of ear-shot.  
  
"I really shouldn't say," Hikage began. However when Hotaru turned her large violet eyes on him with a soft expression, his resolve to remain silent had all the hope of a Twinkie at a weight watchers convention. "Okay okay," Hikage muttered under his breath drawing smiles from the girls. "Usagi asked Konjou and Tenjin for some help recently. She wasn't as specific as she really should have been so pretty much all of it was left up to their discretion on how to handle it. Well you girls know what that meant. Letting those two run around 'fixing' things for you is probably not the path to wisdom and long life if you're mortal. To get to the point, Konjou and Tenjin did quite a bit of research into the problem, decided on what they felt was the proper course of action and implemented it without consulting Usagi as to their plans. The fact that they happen to be right this time means little. Let's just say this little idea of theirs will give you girls a few tense moments, and Rei is going to need to give Mina the Moon Sword back to keep herself from doing something foolish like gutting Mori with it."  
  
The girls took several minutes to digest what he had said, which he used to his advantage simply soaking up the feelings of warmth and togetherness he only felt with Hotaru in his arms. For a being that had lived since the beginning of the Universe without any sense of companionship or even the most fleeting physical contact of a non-violent nature, holding the woman he loved ranked just slightly below making sure the Universe continued to exist.  
  
"Mordred," Hotaru whispered into Hikage's ear. Her breath sent little shivers down his spine. "You dodged the question very well. Will you tell me what they did wrong?" The slightly pouty tone she had quickly learned reduced Hikage's willpower to that of a drug addict looking for his next fix. In an instant he began to whisper to her the truth. A few moments later Hotaru jerked back with a completely shocked look on her face.  
  
"What!" she screeched. Hikage simply nodded. "Are they crazy?" Hotaru continued. "They're going to completely blow up when they find out!" She yelled and cast a quick furtive glance at Rei and Makoto.  
  
"It will work out." Hikage responded.  
  
Hotaru cast a withering disbelieving glare at Hikage. The rest of the girls, especially Rei who had noticed the quick glance in her direction, were very curious.  
  
"What was that all about?" Haruka demanded. The rest quickly seconded her question.  
  
Hikage looked around the gathered group and took note of everyone's expressions. Hotaru was shocked and appalled. Haruka had an almost militant expression as if she intended to tear the information out of him. Michiru wore a look of polite inquiry that failed badly at disguising the steel in her eyes. Makoto looked confused, she knew this had something to do with her. She didn't know how she knew, but she was positive that it did. Rei was just angry. She hated it when people kept secrets from her. When the secrets were about her. well if it was anyone except the person that made Mori and Neko afraid she would already be. persuading him. It took him less than a second to read the intents of everyone around. His psychic abilities worked just fine on the Senshi. Knowing what he did about their respective temperaments he did something he was very, very good at. He shut up.  
  
********  
  
The walk to a secluded corner of the Schoolyard took a surprisingly short time. Usagi hadn't once even looked in their direction since she had demanded they speak in private. It was obvious to Tenjin what she was upset about. Neko told him that morning about Zoicite's stupidity, in fact he was planning to have a little chat with Kunzite about just that. Obviously Ami had told the others and Usagi and Mina were a bit put out about it.  
  
"Konjou, Tenjin," Usagi began calmly as soon as they were all seated on the stone benches. "Just what in the name of the Kami were you thinking!" It seemed her calm had abandoned her. "Do you have any idea what those people have done to us?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Do you realize how bad the girls hate them? Where did you get the idea to try to set them up with Rei-chan and Mako-chan? Not to mention bringing the others back."  
  
"Usagi, shut up." Konjou said sharply. "You don't know what you're talking about." He ignored the sputters of outrage and indignation coming from the girls. "Unlike you girls we know exactly what happened, both in the past and the present."  
  
"That's untrue." Ami retorted. "For the last week or so I have regained much of my memories from the past. I remember the day I found out Zoicite had betrayed me like it was yesterday." Mina nodded her head so violently it was a wonder it stayed attached.  
  
"I remember everything." Usagi responded quietly. "Right after Tenjin read my mind it started to come back. When I used the Crystal to attack Iria's Illithid creature it all returned in a flood."  
  
Konjou and Tenjin shared a look at that. Each remembered their own difficulties in replacing the massive and complex memory blocks the Silver Crystal had placed over portions of the girl's minds. Tenjin winced slightly at how badly he must have failed in putting it back correctly.  
  
"Sorry Usagi." Tenjin said slightly ashamed. "I guess I must have done a worse job at putting the memory block you had inside you back where I found it, than I thought."  
  
Ami glared hard at the idea of memory blocks, but resolved to handle it once the current crisis was seen to.  
  
"So you remember what you knew from back then?" Konjou continued this time hardly waiting for them to nod in agreement before pushing on. "Even back then you had no real idea what happened to them." His expression held all three girls in their seats and forestalled any protestations they were about to voice.  
  
"Let me tell you what really happened." He nearly snarled. "About three months before the attack, King Therin the fifth ordered his son's bodyguards, who just happened to be the rulers of the four great kingdoms of Earth, to investigate the strange uprisings that were going on in the more remote portions of their kingdoms. There had been more than a few recently, and the death toll among the guard units dispatched to suppress them had been staggering."  
  
"Now you need to remember that the people of the Earth were immune to the Mind Control spells that Queen Serenity was using on the other worlds, so the Earth was always a more violent and fractious place. King Therin used the Gold Stone, what your people referred to as the Golden Crystal, to enforce his rule by controlling the forces of nature. It was damn near impossible to make war on an island nation when its King controlled the tides, the winds, and could level your entire country with an earthquake if you didn't do what he said. Be that as it may, something or someone was stirring up the peasants and needed to be stopped."  
  
"The guards, who were the commanders of their home armies, left their duties at the side of their prince. They said tearful goodbyes to the women they had fallen in love with, who were consequently the guardians of the prince's fiancée, and returned to their homes to investigate the disturbances. Each of these men had their own means of gathering intelligence, but one of them stood out as the best. Nephrite, King of the East, one of the greatest students of Astrology ever to be born, learned of the arrival of the being known as Metallia within a week. He quickly sent word to his liege and his fellow Guardians of what they were up against. Of course what he didn't know was that a woman that had spent the last several years mooning after his prince, Lady Beryl, had also learned of Metallia's arrival and with the small amount of magical power she herself possessed, forged an alliance with the evil being."  
  
"Now just to make something clear to you that should be readily obvious. Metallia was an Ulterran. I actually knew her before I went to sleep. The Ulterran were divided into five groups, and each group was made up of innumerable families. The groups corresponded to the type of energy that powered them. Since they were modelled off of us the five groups bore the names of the Creator that made us. Metallia was a Rhendarian Ulterran, which meant she used energies similar to Lor. By the way, that's why she wanted the Silver Crystal. Only an Ulterran could wield its powers without dying instantly, and since she already had Time based energies, and the Gold Stone was nearly in her grasp. The Silver Crystal was easily the next obvious step."  
  
"Beryl offered Metallia the one thing she lacked, a willing physical being to channel her powers through. Metallia herself was actually an energy being, which of course makes truly ruling any territory a difficult prospect. Together they began to raise an army, and the war for Earth began."  
  
"Jedite, who was a powerful Sorcerer in his own right, found himself and his army directly in the path of the advancing horde. The Royal Army of the West fell like wheat before a scythe. The hordes were nearly unstoppable. They were not simply humans, many of them had become the unwilling hosts for creatures of a like the world had never before seen. Jedite failed to escape the destruction of his army. He was captured as he attempted to rescue the body of his own brother."  
  
"Beryl recognised Jedite instantly, and knew what a prize she had captured. Days went by with him languishing in a dirty hole in the ground his magical abilities suppressed and guarded by monsters from his darkest nightmares before, Beryl was able to convince Metallia of the windfall they had received. It took them weeks to begin to break him, and in fact all of the others were captured before Metallia finally took a more direct hand in his conversion."  
  
"Zoicite was the next to fall. Only a week into Jedite's torturous captivity, the Youma ambushed Zoicite inside his own palace. Dozens of his own servants had already been suborned by the demonic forces, and they took him while he was asleep. His nightmare never ended."  
  
"Nephrite, with his precognitive abilities, knew what had happened to his fellows. He tried to flee back to his prince, but never made it. Metallia herself captured the Astrologer. He had no more hope against her than you would have against me. Unlike Zoicite he knew what was happening, and as further punishment for the powerful will he demonstrated, they locked him below the ground, he couldn't even discern night from day in his prison. For Nephrite that was a far worse torture than death."  
  
"Kunzite was worried. Jedite hadn't reported in for almost three weeks, Zoicite for just under two, and Nephrite for nine days. He knew something terrible must have occurred. As he sat in his council chambers hearing the horror stories from the peasants that had fled from the occupied regions, a lone critically wounded battle-mage teleported into the room. Kunzite recognised the man as one of Zoicite's elite guard. He begged the wounded man for news of his friend, and before the mage passed out from his wounds he managed to tell of Zoicite's capture."  
  
"Kunzite knew what must have happened to the others. He gathered every combat capable wizard he could find and trust, and over one thousand of his greatest warriors, and they opened a portal to Beryl's headquarters. Unfortunately it was a trap. The Battle-mage had long before succumbed to torture and Mind Control. When Kunzite and the rest of his strike force made it through the portal, Metallia's forces attacked. The strike force killed thousands. They waded hip deep through the bodies of fallen youma and brainwashed peasants, in the end though it was hopeless. Kunzite fell and joined his compatriots in captivity."  
  
"With all four of Endymion's guard captured and within their power, Metallia took personal charge of their re-conditioning. It became obvious to her that if they managed to actually break the Generals, that they would be worthless. Their wills were simply too strong to ever serve her. With that in mind she turned to her only other option if she wanted to use them. Powerful spiritual creatures, Aralyn, were called forth from the Nexus, and Metallia cajoled them into joining her cause. She fed the generals to them. Zoicite was the first to go, and Jedite was the last. The Aralyn devoured their souls, holding them captured within themselves, raided their memories, and learned everything they needed to complete their tasks."  
  
"Hours later the newly possessed men were released to gather the rest of their forces for the attack on Atlantis and the Moon Kingdom. The gathering took several weeks, weeks in which the loved ones of the possessed men suffered terrible despair. The imprisoned souls within the possessed bodies fought their best, but no mortal could have possibly fought off an Aralyn. Soon enough they attacked Atlantis, where King Therin unleashed the forces of the Gold Stone, and sunk the island to the bottom of the ocean rather than see it taken. The last living descendent of Earryn's line recovered the Stone and whisked it to safety. Enraged by the loss of the Stone, Metallia sent her hordes to attack the Moon Kingdom. For the first time she brought forth her greatest converts. The possessed men were quite easily able to take advantage of the confusion of combat and get close to Queen Serenity. They met and using the shock caused by their apparent betrayal, killed the women who loved their hosts. Swarms of youma overran the palace, and Beryl struck out at the object of her greatest hate, a beautiful sixteen year old Ulterran girl that had claimed the heart of the man Beryl was obsessed with."  
  
"Queen Serenity could feel her daughter and the Senshi die. She knew the battle was lost, but she knew a way that they might still win the war. Metallia was undeniably powerful, but she was a mote beside the true capabilities of the Silver Crystal. Serenity knew she couldn't hope to kill Metallia and her entire army. If she would have tried she would have failed utterly. Instead she chose to banish them to an extra-dimensional prison. The effort was more than she could have possibly survived, so in order to leave some hope to future generations she forcibly tied the souls of all the Senshi that had fallen to that of her daughter and Prince Endymion. That way they would all be reincarnated at the same time, hopefully to know peace in their next lives."  
  
"Now the flaw to this plan was that she found it necessary to cast the two spells simultaneously. They blended together and when the time of peace came that triggered the reincarnation of the Princess, the seals holding the prison together began to crack. You awoke to your powers when you were needed, and once again you found yourself confronted with the Meat- Puppets that were the possessed bodies of the men you once loved. You know the rest."  
  
Usagi's eyes had grown huge throughout the story and were filled and shiny with unshed tears. Mina looked almost the same. Even Ami was moved by the suffering the men had undergone. It didn't even occur to the girls to doubt Konjou's explanation, to the best of their knowledge he had never outright lied, and there was no wiggle room in his language. Obviously the Generals that had betrayed them, and had battled them so fiercely in modern times, were not the men the Senshi had once loved.  
  
"Aren't you afraid that I might leave you for Zoicite?" Ami asked. "If I loved him as much as you think, and now I know he didn't betray me, what's to stop me from going back to him?"  
  
"Nothing. I hope that despite whatever you might have felt in the past for him, that your feelings for me are strong enough to survive the truth of what happened. I wouldn't try to force you to stay with me, even if I could. If you really loved him no magic I could ever cast would change it."  
  
Less than a second after Konjou finished his statement, he found his arms full of forty eight kilograms of crying odangoed blonde. Ami wasn't far behind her and he could easily hear Mina's sniffles from the direction of where Tenjin was standing.  
  
"That's the saddest, sweetest thing I've ever heard!" Usagi wailed.  
  
Konjou looked down at Ami who was sharing space in his embrace with Usagi. She was already looking up at him, love and understanding in her eyes. He let out a small sigh of relief and drew her into a light, but sweet, kiss. Usagi on the other hand abandoned his embrace for Tenjin's. Mina didn't seem to object any more than Ami had. She simply changed her grip to include Usagi.  
  
********  
  
Math class was more of a joke than usual. Now that Mina was completing her assignments, perfectly, the Sensei spent almost all of his time making sure that Usagi understood. Much to his dismay she understood almost as well as Ami and Mina. It seemed to Konjou and Tenjin that Serenity had been far more of a scholar that Usagi was. Needless to say, with the primary students responsible for slowing the lesson plan turning almost overnight into some of the best in the class, the Sensei had dramatically under planned and was forced to end the class early.  
  
By the time P.E. came around, Konjou was so bored he was ready to start killing people just to liven up the day. He stood by the fence separating the boys and girls exercise areas watching Ami and the rest of the Senshi. Konjou was honest enough with himself to admit that he found all of the Senshi, even Haruka and little Hotaru, very attractive. Only the surety of Ami's negative reaction to the idea kept him from seducing the whole group of them. Well that and the certainty that Mori and Mordred would literally kill him the instant he moved towards either Mina or Hotaru.  
  
He shuddered at the thought of actually being killed. Despite what they had led the Senshi to believe he had proof positive that it was possible. He was living proof that the Primarchs could die, a little over twelve and a half billion years ago there had been a different Primarch of Will, Taliaesin Mÿth?los. The Primarchs, in their pride, had attempted to mimic what the Creators had wrought. The beings they brought into creation were nightmares of the highest order. They had only made three total, but it was more than enough. The Abominations, as they came to be known as later, had ran amuck. They were completely out of control and nothing seemed to be able to stop them. Taliaesin had tried to talk them out of their mindless destruction, but it was hopeless.  
  
The Abominations turned on their makers and brought war on the Primarchs. Entire galaxies were consumed in the magical warfare. The Primarchs had erred greatly. The Abominations were so similar to them that they even shared their most potent abilities. Azin, the greatest of the Abominations, showed Mori and the rest of the Primarchs just how badly their abilities could be bent to destruction. Taliaesin faced him in single combat and was utterly destroyed. The Primarchs reeled back in shock and horror. They had believed themselves completely invulnerable. Azin's advance through the magical barriers they had erected was relentless, Until Mordred got involved.  
  
Nothing had prepared anyone for the sheer devastation Mordred unleashed. He had not participated in the Abominations' construction. Until that time the Primarchs hadn't taken Mordred seriously. His general passivity made him appear almost defenceless. They couldn't have been more wrong. Athan and Kayla, the weaker two Abominations, were swept away in an instant by Mordred's power. Azin survived to do battle. The combat carried them away from the other Primarchs. No one other than Mordred knew what exactly happened, but a month later Mordred reappeared with news that Azin was no more.  
  
Where there were once five Primarchs there were now only four. Enkil had lost his avatar to it's and the others greed and stupidity. Nothing was heard from the Creators. The prayers of the Primarchs for guidance went unanswered. Finally after they had given up hope of ever being answered, he had appeared.  
  
He could easily remember the first instant of his awareness. All of the other Primarchs were together, worrying themselves on how to maintain the balance of forces without their lost friend. When he appeared it was the answer to all of their prayers.  
  
"Our job is to enforce our spheres of influence and to maintain the balance of power. Not to meddle in things we cannot possibly understand," were his first words. He didn't know at the time why he said them, but the others took the warning to heart.  
  
Taliaesin had been by far the least powerful of the Primarchs. That was untrue of him. Only Mordred and Mori ranked greater than he. Jander had once lorded his superior capabilities over the friendly Taliaesin. He had no such joy with Neko. Though the battle would have been fierce, Jander knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was overmatched.  
  
Konjou shook himself out of his musings and returned his attention to the plethora of beauty just across the fence. The girls were doing sprints today it seemed. Makoto was paired up with Mina and would be racing next. He watched amused as Usagi and Rei argued while waiting for their turn. Further back Ami stood next to Umi.  
  
There was a certain bizarre symmetry in the pairings. Neko wondered briefly if it was intentional or just random chance that the new girls Sensei had put those particular groups together.  
  
That brought another smile to his face. Setsuna had been livid to learn that a male had been posing as the girls P.E. Sensei. It was pointless to try to point out to her that none of the Primarchs were truly male. What gender is a ball of light? He thought with a smile. Sure the only Primarchs that could shapeshift without magic were he and Mori, but the rest were quite proficient in magical transformation. Of course they had all long ago had Mori alter their true forms to a human shape, something he could only do with their assistance, but that didn't change the fact of what they really were. All of the Primarchs had decided on appearing male for one simple reason. Females were, in their opinion, far more attractive. It was considerably easier, and more rewarding, to attract the attention of a female when they were male.  
  
Setsuna had threatened to expose Lor for what he was if he didn't stop. He personally believed that it was Setsuna's disapproval rather than the threat itself that stopped Lor's perversion.  
  
He returned his attention to the girls in time to see Mina come across the finish line well in advance of Makoto. The girls shared a friendly laugh and headed over to the bleachers to wait for the rest to finish. After a few others had ran Konjou watched with a smile as Usagi left Rei in the dust. His heart swelled with pride at her accomplishments. Rei appeared to make some sort of comment about Usagi's win, and yet another friendly bickering session was underway.  
  
Finally Ami was down at the line. She smiled in a friendly way at the shy Umi, and cast a wink at Konjou, who she could easily see despite the distance. The Sensei blew her whistle and Ami took off in a dead sprint. Her body was grace in motion. Her movements were more efficient now than they were a short week ago. There was absolutely no wasted effort in her run. Umi was in very good shape, she wasn't as fragile as she appeared, but no normal human could have hoped to keep up with Ami. Four strides before she crossed the finish line all hell broke loose.  
  
Konjou felt it just as she stumbled. Her life force, the energy within her, plummeted to almost nothing. She instantly lost her balance, but her momentum carried her forward just the same. Ami dropped like a stone face first towards a meeting with the track. It never happened.  
  
By the time that her legs dropped out from underneath her Neko was already in motion. The fence separating the boys and girls sides of the field was four metres high. There was almost four hundred metres between them. Both facts were totally irrelevant. Konjou simply teleported directly to her side and had her in his arms before anyone could even perceive the appearance.  
  
Of course that wasn't even close to all of what went wrong. Konjou was more afraid at that moment that he had ever been in his entire existence. He had no idea what had happened but Ami was in very real danger of dying. His fear translated into a complete loss of concentration, and control. Konjou instantly resumed his default appearance and burst into brilliant silver radiance. The running and screaming began immediately.  
  
"/Fuck./" Tenjin said as chaos descended on the schoolyard. As of that instant their cover was completely blown. Neko was looking completely wild eyed and ready to melt continents, leaving him little choice other than to step in. Shedding his disguise Mori teleported directly to Neko's side and began trying to calm him down.  
  
"/Neko, bring it back down!/"  
  
Of course his demand was totally ignored. In fact Neko seemed not to have even heard him. Mori decided to look into the cause of the outburst. He noted in passing that the Senshi hadn't started fleeing with the rest of the students. Of course they were smart enough to have not transformed, but just by hanging around they were risking their identities. He sent Mina a pleading look and gave her a mental nudge to run screaming pretending that she was in danger. She ignored him.  
  
The instant he turned his perception to Ami the problem became obvious. She was in almost as bad of shape as Mina had been in after the battle with Iria. He couldn't understand what could have possibly happened. Any attack or spell capable of draining her like that would have been obvious. Not only he, but anyone capable of using magic within several hundred kilometres would have felt it. Of course it was right about then that Neko finally noticed him. He was more than a little shocked when Neko shifted Ami into one arm, grabbed him by the front of his cloak, lifted him off his feet and shook him like a terrier shaking a rat.  
  
"/How did you help Mina!/" He growled. Neko was obviously way beyond reasoning with. He knew better than to attack Mori.  
  
"/Neko calm down I'll./"  
  
"/Tell me!/" He screamed. The air became thick with magical energy. Neko was obviously heartbeats away from raging.  
  
Mori considered his options and quickly blasted the information directly into Neko's head. Neko would have a headache for hours from that, but it was hardly his fault. Neko's aura flashed and he was gone. Neko used so much energy Mori felt the endpoint of the teleportation. He understood Neko's feelings. If Mina were in danger he would have reacted almost exactly the same. He shook his head remembering that he had reacted the same.  
  
Looking around assured him that school was over for the day. Students and Sensei were still streaming away from the building as fast as they could. Only the Senshi and the unconscious remained where they were. He was interested to note that the girl Mina was so jealous of, Umi, was among the unconscious.  
  
"You know Mina-chan," he said as he walked over to the girls. "I don't understand what you think she has that you don't." He pointed at Umi. "Can you imagine fainting just because Neko showed up? That's pathetic."  
  
Rei looked at the dozen or so unconscious people and looked back at Mori's smirking expression. In an instant she found a way to express both her and the rest of the dumbfounded Senshi's feelings.  
  
"Baka!" she screamed when she smacked him across the face.  
  
********  
  
Neko appeared directly in his bedroom. He set Ami gently on the bed and contemplated what Mori had shown him. A negligent flare of power turned Ami's clothing to confetti. Mordred might have had the power to transfer his energy through it, but he agreed with Mori, the fewer barriers the better it would work.  
  
He knelt down at her side and hoped with all his heart that the wound on his shoulder wouldn't interfere with what he was about to do. He placed his hand directly over her diaphragm, his palm just grazing her skin, and began to chant a spell he had never realized he knew.  
  
"/Enkil, Lord of Will, Soulforger, Father of Mysteries, heed my call. Enkil I call to thee and beseech thee, bring our beloved within your embrace./" Every ward on the walls flared into brilliant light, completely eclipsing his aura. Ami let out a whimper and seemed to twitch lightly. "/Waves of Will surge forth! Fill she who is empty, bring forth that which hides, unchain what is leashed!"  
  
Neko could feel the energy pouring through him and into Ami like syrup. He had the irresistible urge to move his hands over her. He complied and watched as everywhere he touched, her skin returned to its healthy colour. She gasped in her sleep from the sensation burning through her. Minutes later the transfer completed, and Neko, worn out by his wound and drained by the spell did something that had only happened one other time in the entire existence of the universe. He fell asleep.  
  
********  
  
"Ow!" Rei screamed as she cradled her hand. She glared at Mori accusatively as if it were his fault that her hand hurt. The look he returned was an obvious 'well what did you expect?' expression. While she cradled her hand Makoto clarified their disgust at his tactlessness.  
  
"He was scary looking ok? Oh sure, we know he was just worried about Ami, but no one else knows how harmless he is." She stated.  
  
Mori didn't bother to disillusion them about how close Neko was to doing some serious killing. Explaining would have been counterproductive. Instead he decided to use the unexpected free time to accomplish a few tasks he had been putting off.  
  
"Alright, fine. Maybe he might have looked dangerous to the uninformed," Mori said placatingly. "But it's too late to do anything about it. It's actually sort of a good thing really. There are a few things I need to talk to you all about and now that you have some free time."  
  
"What do you mean free time?" Rei interrupted.  
  
"Look around Pyro. Isn't it obvious that classes are over for the day?" Usagi shot back. Rei reddened in embarrassment and glared at Mori in further accusation.  
  
"Girls, this is pretty important. If you would all just come over to the apartment we could discuss what's going on, and how it affects you." At the blank stares he received he shook his head and tried another tactic. "You got lucky last time girls. Iria is a powerful Ulterran. The next time you meet her she'll probably just kill you instantly rather than try to do battle."  
  
"She won't." Usagi said with confidence. "She said something about not being allowed to."  
  
"Usagi, though I have never actually met Iria personally, I know quite a bit about Clan Soren. Iria is the youngest child of Soren himself. She is an Ulterran of the Second Generation. No one could possibly give her orders except a Primarch."  
  
"I don't know anything about that," Usagi admitted politely, "but she said that Zeryn would be mad if she killed one of their own kind."  
  
The Senshi watched in fear as all the colour drained out of Mori's face.  
  
"Zeryn?" He asked softly. At Usagi's nod he broke into a stream of what had to be profanity in Aleph. Judging by Mina's expression it was more than likely very bad. "Oh this is just wonderful." Mori said sarcastically. "Makoto go find the Outers, even Setsuna, and get back here as fast as you can."  
  
No one thought to question his orders. His expression left no room for argument. It took Makoto less than five minutes to return, more because the Outers were already on the way to investigate rather than any other reason. Only Setsuna was absent and Michiru handled that problem with the cell phone in her purse.  
  
"When we get to the apartment you run downstairs and get Mamoru, Usagi."  
  
"He's at class right now." She replied.  
  
"Fine I'll do it the easy way." The girls were very happy they weren't Mamoru for some reason.  
  
Mori once again looked within himself and an instant later one of his portals opened before the gathering. After ushering the girls through, he followed and allowed the doorway to collapse.  
  
As usual they had arrived in the front room of the apartment. Unlike normal all of the glass globes that usually emitted soft light were dark. Mori strode purposefully towards the hallway that held Neko's room.  
  
"Mori wait!" Mina called. "What if their. you know."  
  
"Then I interrupt them. This is a bit more important than that."  
  
"But Ami-chan might be naked!" Usagi squealed indignantly.  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time I saw her nude. I've watched all of you transform several times." He pointed out. "Haruka has an interesting little mole on her inner thigh." He disappeared down the hallway leaving the furiously blushing girls to dwell on that.  
  
Five minutes later, a bleary eyed and tomato red Ami sat dressed in a quickly donned robe with the rest of the Senshi. Neko sat behind Ami on the large overstuffed chair she had convinced him to get for her. Mori paced back and forth in the middle of the room. Mina had given up on trying to get him to relax. Michiru was busy trying to calm Haruka, who was still fuming about Mori's admission that he had seen them all nude. Makoto watched Ami with a bit of fear and envy, but something seemed different about the expression. There was an almost total lack of the hostility that had been present since she had learned about Ami's and Neko's relationship. Hotaru sat impassively waiting. Rei on the other hand was still trying to adjust to the crisis of the day. The serenity that was so much a part of her Shinto training was nowhere in evidence.  
  
"You were peeping on us!" She seethed at Mori.  
  
"Rei, I know more about your body that you could possibly imagine," he said. Mina blushed furiously and became inexplicably interested in the floor. "Besides, it's hardly peeping when it was your careless transformations that gave me the show. Is it my fault the spell Lunari designed belongs in an ecchi movie? I didn't teach her it. If you have to blame anyone for your outfit and transformation being a hentai's fantasy, blame Neko, he's Lunari's father."  
  
Neko looked at Mori with a 'gee thanks' expression and casually ignored the killing looks the Senshi cast his way. He was saved from further comment by the sound of the elevator announcing its arrival at the penthouse. Mori opened the door before whomever it was even had the chance to knock, and when he returned he led both Mamoru and Setsuna into the room.  
  
"Now that were all here," Neko said dryly, "maybe you can tell us what has you so tense."  
  
"Usagi?" Mori asked politely. "Would you please tell Neko what you said to me at the school?"  
  
"About Zeryn?"  
  
"What!" Neko yelled spitting the mouthful of tea he had been in the process of drinking across the room. "Where in the hell did you hear that name?"  
  
"Iria said that someone named Zeryn told her to kill the people that were stopping his 'loth. She also said he would be mad at her if she 'killed any of her own kind'." Usagi replied.  
  
Neko's face was a study. It was impossible to determine just exactly what he was feeling, but anger was obviously on the list.  
  
"/Mori, this is not good at all./"  
  
"/You think I don't know that?/"  
  
"/Does this mean you want to do what we were discussing then?/"  
  
"/Yea./"  
  
"Hey!" Usagi complained. "It's not nice to talk like we aren't here you know. Some of us can't understand you when you speak in your language."  
  
"I'm sorry Usagi-chan." Mori replied gently. The simple fact that he had once again used an endearment for anyone other than Mina got everyone's attention. "Look girls, we have some important stuff to say, and then something to ask you, so I want you all to get comfortable ok?" Once everyone was seated except himself, he began.  
  
"First, Zeryn is an Ulterran. I know that was obvious, but what you don't know is he is beyond the shadow of any doubt the most powerful non- Primarch that has ever existed. The first generation of Ulterran all have one thing in common, they appeared spontaneously. It didn't happen all at once. In fact their manifestations were scattered starting with Asteroth, just a bit over six billion years ago, and ending with Zeryn fifteen thousand years before we went to sleep."  
  
"We Primarchs felt every one of them come into existence. When they first showed up the Ulterran were nothing like what they ended up. The Universe made improvements, if you would, on each being it forged. The last handful of the First Generation were nearly a match for us. Just to give you an idea of what I mean, the last five of the First Generation were Alielle, Nilrathin, Lunari, Zymor and Zeryn. Alielle was a Rhendarian Ulterran of terrifying power. Lor was forced to destroy her when she tried to travel back to the beginning of the Ulterran and destroy the ancestors of her rival. Zymor, the pinnacle of the Chuthulian, disappeared into the Nexus chasing an Akulin that killed his mate. I can only imagine how many he killed before he was brought down. Lunari, the greatest of the Enkilar, was Usagi's ancestor and more than likely killed herself over-channelling the power of the Silver Crystal. Nilrathin, the Dallakan, was murdered by Zeryn."  
  
"Zeryn was obviously a Dahak. In terms of sheer power he almost matches Lor. When it comes to destructive ability however, he probably exceeds Neko. Like every one of the First Generation, we knew him personally. Zeryn is extremely intelligent, even for an Ulterran. He was the rough equivalent to us that Ami is to mortals." That widened more than a few eyes. "He was calculating, devious, and cruel. He believed that the degradation of the Ulterran was the result of inferior bloodlines being allowed to exist, he set about to rectify that."  
  
"In one Earth year he did almost as much damage as. well lets just say he killed billions." The girls looked ill at the idea. "Remember that by the time he started, well over seventy percent of the Ulterran clans had gone mortal. Where they had once numbered in the hundreds of trillions, only a small fraction remained."  
  
"As you well know, all of us have an allergy. It is easily the most guarded secret of every clan. If someone knew what your allergen was it would give them tremendous power over not only yourself, but all of your clan. Allergen wounds can not be healed magically. The tinniest amount of it inside of us, or in fact for most of us simply touching it, strips an Ulterran of their power." His eyes took on an almost feverish light as he continued. "I've even heard rumours that the mere presence nearby could hurt or kill truly weak ones."  
  
"Zeryn did something we fully believed was impossible. Somehow he devised a spell to divine the allergen of anyone he had a piece of."  
  
"I still say it can't have been a spell. There is just no way to magically divine the allergens." Neko put in.  
  
"What else could it have been, Neko? We can trace his powers easily. He's harder to hurt than I am. He was able to read auras and had that nasty energy power. His lesser abilities were even more obvious. The omni- sight was proven when he killed Rath, Kerai proved he was capable of empathic transmission, even on her. And let's not even get into how obvious his precognitive abilities were. He was able to avoid Lor for Dallak sake, not to even mention the little battle between him and Zymor. That was all his greaters and his lessers."  
  
"Unless he was more like us than we ever gave him credit for." Neko shot back.  
  
"Jander brought that idea up once. While I can't completely discount the possibility, I'll ask you the same question I asked him. If it were anything other than a spell, why did he wait until after he failed to kill Earryn to start? The only reasonable explanation is, was, and always will be magic. That's why it failed on Earryn."  
  
"I still disagree. There's just no way it could be magic."  
  
"It hardly matters right now, Neko." Mori said and returned his attention to the Senshi, who were watching the exchange with rapt attention. "Zeryn took his fight to the greatest of the surviving clans. Any clan that refused to join with his was targeted for destruction. He tended to keep females of those humanoid clans that did well against him alive in captivity. We surmised later that he intended to use them as breeding stock. He was pretty much the archetype of an evil tyrant bent on total domination. Unfortunately for him he made the error of attempting to take Lunari."  
  
"Now you have to realize that up until that point we had stayed out of it. With remarkably few exceptions we let the Ulterran struggle amongst themselves, sort of a modern Darwinian philosophy. That is not to say that we didn't have our moments, if Lunari kept any records from our time you can verify that by reading about the fate of the insectoid Taryn, but to get back to the point, when Zeryn attacked Lunari he crossed the line. Neko took that a bit personally and. well we thought for sure we killed Zeryn. Obviously we didn't do a thorough enough job."  
  
"If Iria was telling the truth, then we have a serious problem on our hands. We imploded an entire spiral arm trying to take him out. Zeryn must still be trying to bring back the Ulterran, and that means bad news for everyone. His obvious fixation on it hasn't abated in all thirty five thousand years of his existence, there's no talking him out of it now. He will most probably continue to summon bigger and nastier things until all of you are dead. Now, while Neko and I, and to a lesser extent, Ami and Mina can survive and put down anything short of a full scale invasion from the Nexus by ourselves. We are not perfect. We can't be everywhere at once, and eventually you all will die. We would like to change that."  
  
"What Mori is saying," Neko said getting to his feet. "Is that there is a way to give you a chance against these things. Long ago Lunari did something unconscionable, she abused the power of the Crystal and somehow changed your ancestors. I have no idea how many failed attempts were made, but you girls are the results of her efforts. Believe it or not, you aren't truly human. No human could ever hope to contain and channel the forces you do. Oh sure the few that are capable of magic could mimic some of what you do, but the deep reservoirs of power you hold would turn any human to ash."  
  
"What we want to do is complete the change. Now, either through ignorance, fear, or a lack of ability, Lunari only pushed your ancestors so far. She also only had the Silver Crystal to work with. If you will allow us to do it, we will give you the power you need to face the creatures Zeryn and Iria are likely to summon on more even footing. I doubt that you would be able to stop an Akulin, or even a Kilthor one on one, but Enkil help anything else that gets in your way."  
  
"The downside is this. Not only would the change affect you, but all of your descendents would also be changed. You would be even further from human than you already are. It is highly unlikely that you would look any different, but there would be no going back. Until we actually do the transformation on someone I can't even be sure that you would be able to interbreed with humans successfully. To be honest, this is something that has never been done, and the only reason we know its possible is because the changes you already have are incomplete."  
  
"Will it hurt?" Usagi asked fearfully.  
  
"Usagi-chan, we wouldn't try to put the changes on you if we could. You aren't like the other Senshi. You aren't human at all anyway. All of your power stems from one source, your Ulterran heritage. Only your Senshi could be altered like this." Neko replied  
  
"What about Mamoru?"  
  
"He is still completely human. His family has wielded the Gold Stone for so many generations that he has a small amount of innate Plant based magic, but he isn't like the Senshi."  
  
"Could I be altered as well anyway?" Mamoru spoke up for the first time. "If you think the girls don't have any hope against these things you have to know I have even less. This Stone nearly kills me to wield. I took you by surprise once, but it didn't take you more than that to figure out how to get out of the way."  
  
"Mamoru, there aren't many things that could survive one hit." Mori put in oddly gently.  
  
"What happens if there is more than one? What do I do if something gets hold of Usagi? I don't have any real way to moderate the power of this thing. It's all or nothing. If you need a guinea pig let me do it."  
  
"Mamo-chan, no!" Usagi sobbed.  
  
"Mamoru, I don't think you understand just what I mean. You're completely human. We would have to change you all the way, not just halfway like the girls. You might not even survive. There might possibly have been some reason Lunari didn't complete their changes. She might have tried and killed a few that way. Do you really want to risk it?" Neko added.  
  
"Better me than any of the Senshi. Anyone that can use magic can use the Stone right?"  
  
"Not really, you have to have the consent of Stone's guardian, or my own." Mori replied.  
  
"Then if I fall someone else can take up my fight. The Senshi are irreplaceable."  
  
"Well you're right about that. The spell that made the Senshi could only be used on women with magical power, more than likely there's a morality component as well. I'd be willing to be that Uranus, Neptune and Pluto would have failed that portion had they not inherited their powers."  
  
"So you can't use it on me because I'm male?"  
  
"No, I said the original spell worked that way. You really need to stop underestimating me Mamoru. It's starting to get insulting. I can alter it to suit your needs, but I have no idea how well it will work."  
  
"Since Mamoru would be a different kind of magic, would it help you at all for testing out the changes on us?" Setsuna asked.  
  
"No, but it would make him capable of the same kinds of power."  
  
"Then test it on me." Haruka said standing up. "Look, we all know there's no chance of me ever having children anyway, and it's not like this would be the first time I risked it all to gain the power to beat an enemy. Let me do this."  
  
"I should tell you in advance that this wont work on anyone that has been absorbing Primarch energies. That leaves out Ami, Hotaru and Mina."  
  
"And me as well then." Setsuna said with only the barest hint of a blush.  
  
"Well," Mori said with a slightly shocked expression. "That was unexpected."  
  
"So only Haruka, Makoto, Michiru and Rei could undergo this? Are we sure it's a good idea then?" Neko asked.  
  
"Do it. I don't know about you, but the idea of standing aside while someone else fights my battles makes me sick." Haruka replied.  
  
"But it's not your battle, Haruka. It's ours." Mori responded.  
  
"Is Usagi in danger? Are the people of the Earth in danger? Those are my battles. Do it."  
  
"I think I was wrong about you Haruka. You and I are far more alike than you could possible imagine." He said shaking his head. "Mamoru, give me the Stone."  
  
Mamoru took the Stone from his subspace pocket and handed it to Mori. Instantly upon contact with its maker the Stone began to hum softly. He looked at Neko who had similarly withdrawn his Crystal and raised his eyebrow in question.  
  
"Do we do this here or go to the laboratory?" He asked.  
  
"I recommend the laboratory, this will make way to much noise, besides if something goes wrong we can confine the explosion there." Neko answered.  
  
"All right, follow us minna, and don't touch anything. There are dust bunnies in there that can eat you."  
  
The girls marvelled at the laboratory. It was obviously constructed within a subspace pocket like so many things the Ulterran had made. It was modelled on the concept of a medieval European castle room. Large cyclopean stones made up the dark walls. Many stone tables stood on the floor. Several of which were covered in odd alchemical contraptions and enormous books. The books surprised Ami, who knew very well the Primarchs had little to no need for them. Despite the appearance of age, the room was completely free of dust, dirt, or any other mess. Mori's threat of man eating dust bunnies was obviously an exaggeration.  
  
"Be careful not to touch the walls, they're made of Magestone and absorb magical energy. If you touch them it will drain you of all power for a couple of days, and you would not like it. Your bodies are used to having huge amounts of magic within them, and the draining would likely put you in a coma." Neko said in warning.  
  
"Haruka, are you sure you still want to do this?" Mori asked on last time.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ok strip and lay down on that table." He said pointing at one of four that were gathered close together. "Neko, we need to talk about the order of this. Do you want to finish the boosting first, or deal with the defences?"  
  
Mori and Neko shifted to Aleph while they discussed the finer points of the magic they intended to cast. The girls however had other things on their mind.  
  
"Have you noticed that every time either of those two want to cast a spell on us we end up naked?" Makoto said in passing.  
  
"It has to do with your clothing possibly interfering with the magical energies. There are so many man made materials in them that they might have unforeseen effects. Mordred doesn't worry about it. There is no such thing as unforeseen to him." Hotaru said flatly.  
  
"I don't know if I'm comfortable with those two seeing me naked." Rei said nervously. She wasn't fooling anyone though. It was obvious that she still was very attracted to Mori, and afraid of him finding fault with her body.  
  
"Don't worry Rei-chan." Mina said gently. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, and you know they wouldn't hurt or take advantage of you."  
  
Haruka had no such fears. She had simply disrobed hopped up on the table and laid down waiting, she did however have a complaint.  
  
"Kami-sama this thing is cold. You could have at least put a blanket down, or warmed it up or something." She protested.  
  
Neko didn't even bother looking. He just pointed a finger at the floor under the table where she lay and a stream of blue flame struck it. It cut of an instant later, but it had done the job. Haruka was no longer shivering. A few moments later the two men finished their debate and returned to Haruka's side.  
  
"Ok, this is how were going to do this. Neko is going to use the Crystal to complete the magical side of the transformation. Assuming you survive I will then use the Stone to boost your defences. If this works the way we plan when I get done with you, you should be nearly immune to magic of your own elemental resonance." He looked deep into Haruka's eyes, seeking even the smallest sign of doubt. "Are you ready?"  
  
She swallowed nervously and nodded. "I'm ready."  
  
"Just to let you know Haruka, once we start this we can't stop. If we do you die. It's that simple. Neither of us have any idea what this will feel like. More than likely you'll be begging us to kill you to end the pain. No matter how bad you scream and how much you plead I won't stop though. I'm going to paralyze you temporarily to keep you from doing yourself any harm." Neko said gently. He waved his hand over her and all movement except the rise and fall of her chest, and the blinking of her eyes, halted.  
  
"Jarathu kondes mortal, tegir sedul ieerai. Sotho nedum tse cordes." Haruka began to make horrifying sounds though she couldn't actually scream due to her paralysis. Neko's chant continued on, a low rumbling counterpoint to her frantic squeals. A fine sheen of sweat broke out all over her body and her eyes filled with tears.  
  
"/Fires of Brasstin burn within, I command thee in the name of Enkil forge anew this vessel./" Ami twitched at the words Neko spoke. She had no real memory of the transfer he had done to her earlier, but if it was anything like this she was glad she was unconscious. She wondered why they hadn't just knocked Haruka out. The look in her eyes was wild, and her sounds had taken on a tone of pained supplication. She couldn't watch anymore. She closed her eyes to the sight of the suffering girl.  
  
"Ia, Ia, Ia kanpa. Tsuru medug dora nea." Tears flowed freely down Michiru's face. She knew Haruka was suffering this for her and Usagi. Michiru knew that she would have volunteered if Haruka hadn't and she knew Haruka knew it too. The blonde girl almost seemed to be twitching despite the magically induced paralysis. She prayed that it was almost over. The sight of her lover in pain was killing her.  
  
"Fedee, granth jon. Dunu xor galanthe!" Neko completed. Usagi was glad to see part of it finished. Now only whatever Mori had to do was left. She knew she couldn't let any of the other Senshi do this. Haruka was the toughest of them all and she looked so hurt. Her skin was flushed completely and she had started making wheezing sounds as well. She was crying so badly that only Neko's warning that stopping would kill her kept Usagi from stepping in personally. Usagi began to weep for her friend when Mori began to chant.  
  
"/Dallak, Lord of Form hear me. Your servant invokes the ritual of binding, she who lies before us seeks the power found in its grace./" Mori began. The looks on Mori's and Neko's faces were strange. There seemed to be something wrong with the process. Mina needed to believe that Haruka would survive. She looked so bad right now, and Mori was obviously worried about something. His chant continued and despite the magic binding her, Haruka's hands clenched into fists.  
  
"Kasai gatan Sedor." Mamoru watched as impassively as he could. He felt no attraction looking at Haruka's nudity. Though she was undeniably beautiful, he was too busy considering the implications of what he was seeing. This was only the final half of the transformation. If the beginning was as bad or worse he honestly didn't believe he would survive. If he didn't undergo it though, there was no point in him living anyway. Usagi was his entire world, and he could do nothing to assist her against this new threat. He shivered in fear for himself, and said a silent prayer for Haruka.  
  
Mordred had told her this was going to happen. Though he assured her that Haruka would survive, despite her desire not to, she still worried for her guardian. He told her that she would have no lasting damage, but it looked so bad. She hoped it would be over soon. Just as she finished thinking that, Neko stood and prepared to end the paralysis.  
  
"/.and be reborn!/" Mori finished in a shout, just as Neko terminated the binding spell. Haruka screamed at the top of her lungs again and again she curled into a ball only to throw her arms and legs out violently instants later as another wave assaulted her. She continued like that for several minutes before either he or Neko were able to respond to just what had gone strange.  
  
"Well," Neko said with wide eyes. "That was. odd. I didn't expect anything like that."  
  
"Me either Neko. me either."  
  
Michiru dashed forward as soon as Mori stepped out of her way and drew her tortured lover into her arms. Michiru cooed gently to Haruka and stroked her tear drenched face in an effort to sooth her. Haruka on the other hand pulled the Aqua haired girl weakly closer and cried softly into her shirt.  
  
"Kami-sama!" Makoto swore softly "what did you do to her!"  
  
Mori looked at Makoto with indignation as he responded. "We warned you we didn't know exactly what would happen. How could we have known about that." He said disgustedly.  
  
"Well at least we know why Lunari didn't finish the transformations." Neko added.  
  
"Yea, if the first part was anything like that I understand. She would have been embarrassed as hell to have been the one responsible for giving the first Senshi the world's biggest orgasm like that." He paused for a moment and took stock of the situation. "So who's next?"  
  
********  
  
"Chibi-Usa, this is undoubtedly the most ill-conceived idea I believe I have ever heard of. Not even your mother ever acted this foolish." The grey cat scolded her pink haired charge. "If you think for one minute that I will simply sit back and allow you to run off and charge into battle against someone that has not only all of the Senshi, but my parents as well in mortal terror, and most probably under some sort of control you have obviously forgotten who I am."  
  
"Diana, I'm done hearing you complain. Have you thought of any other way to fix the situation?" Usa said primly. When no response was forthcoming she continued. "Now you agree with me that these Primarchs obviously have some sort of control over the Senshi, and Elios either can't contact me or he is also under control, which means it's up to me."  
  
"I still disagree with your choice of target. If you must rush blindly off to confront one of these beings, wouldn't it be more advisable to start either with the one that has both your and my parents under control, or the one who seems to have Elios? Why have you decided, against my explicit advice I might add, to target the redhead?"  
  
"Because, according to my mother, this 'Mordred' person is the strongest of them, which makes him the leader. Once I defeat him the rest will probably run away or be so busy fighting each other that freeing everyone will be easy."  
  
"The Moon could float through the holes in that logic." Diana muttered under her breath. "Fine, I'll accept your reasoning about that, for the time being. Now, could you please explain the camouflage stripes you put on your cheeks?"  
  
********  
  
Elios watched amazed as his bride-to-be quite easily broke the stupid barrier. Oh he guessed her thoughts made sense, from certain uneducated, narrow minded, point of view. At least she was planning on attacking Mordred. There was simply no way she could do him even the smallest harm. That fact would save her life. If she were to do something stupid, like say, attack Neko or Kami forbid, Mori, then he would be a widower before he ever married the twit.  
  
This was his third day in a row of watching exclusively her. He was having a very difficult time trying to decide just how old she was. Her actions argued that she couldn't have been more than twelve or so, but her body. That was the stuff dreams were made of, literally. Physically she appeared to be less than a year younger than her mother, and since Usagi had turned seventeen a short time ago, it was obvious why he was as frustrated as he was.  
  
He briefly considered warning Mordred of her intentions, and then realized what he was thinking. Mordred was the most powerful being in the Universe. His precognitive capabilities were unmatched. The entire idea that the brainless wonder here could sneak up on him was ludicrous.  
  
Elios sat back and watched as his betrothed once again wiped the camouflage grease paint off her face and begin reapplying it, this time in little bunny shapes. He could just see the long years of his marriage stretching out in front of him. Elios wept.  
  
********  
  
Of the four newly boosted Senshi, only Haruka was showing signs of the twitching coming to a close. It had taken until both Michiru and Makoto had already agreed and been transformed before Rei made her choice. She would have much rather the process hurt as bad as it looked like rather than what it really did. As the unbearable waves of ecstasy crashed through her, and she lie magically paralyzed on the warm stone table, she wept tears more of shame than pleasure.  
  
Of the Senshi that had undergone the change, she was the only one that had never had a lover of any kind. True Makoto was still technically a virgin as well, but Rei had never shared her body with anyone. Mamoru had hardly noticed her presence, and Yuuchiro panted after like a demented puppy, but she would have stuffed him in the sacred fire before she let him touch her. Mori was the only man to have ever really touched her, and she had her clothes completely on at the time. The only pleasure she had ever felt was through her own efforts.  
  
The feelings that the transformation forced on her were the next closest thing to rape. She hadn't wanted them, and knew deep in her heart that she would spend the rest of her life wanting them again. Having Mori and Neko see her naked hardly meant anything compared to that indignity.  
  
"Mina, would you take the girls to the main bath. I'm willing to bet they want to get cleaned up." Mori said quietly. Mina, Ami, Usagi and Hotaru quickly gathered up the discarded clothing and led the shaking girls out the portal and down to hall to the bathroom. Once they were out of the room Mori and Neko turned to Mamoru, who Usagi had blindfolded when Michiru and Makoto started disrobing.  
  
"Do you still want to do this Mamoru?" Neko asked.  
  
Mamoru's face took on an expression caught somewhere between terror and longing. Neko understood him quite well. The power was a seductive thought, and the sheer bliss the girls felt would seem attractive to a man, but the fact that a man was causing it would be disturbing to say the least. Then there was the fact that the process had never been attempted on a male, and was highly dangerous. Oh yes, he understood Mamoru's hesitance quite easily.  
  
"I can't allow my fear to put Usagi in danger." He said at length. "Do it." His last words were nearly a whisper.  
  
Setsuna walked up behind Mamoru and began to lightly rub his shoulders as she spoke. "Do you want me to bring Usagi back here to you Mamoru?"  
  
He turned, taking Setsuna's hand into his own and squeezed it gently. "No Setsuna, I couldn't bear to have her see this. It would be like cheating on her."  
  
"I understand," she said softly "do you want me to stay?"  
  
"Yes please. I know it's a little weird, but you're the only one besides Usagi that I really trust."  
  
Mamoru's words were like a dagger twisting in her heart. He seemed to think of her as a big sister, or Kami forbid a mother figure. Though she smiled reassuringly and nodded her understanding to Mamoru, she desperately wished that she could be spared this. She wanted Lor.  
  
Mamoru stripped and chose a different table from one any of the girls had lain on. Though they had been magically cleaned he felt strange about going through the transformation where any of the girls had recently been. It felt somehow intimate.  
  
"Let's get this over with." Mamoru said tightly.  
  
"Ok, but when this is over you're cleaning up the mess." Neko said, and then he began.  
  
********  
  
An hour later Usagi held a shivering Mamoru cuddled in her arms. It had become obvious instantly why Lunari had used women. Mamoru's heart had stopped from the agony more than a dozen times throughout the procedure. While females experienced boundless pleasure, men felt pain. Lunari wouldn't have been able to keep a male alive.  
  
The transformations were a success, but they carried a cost. None of the changed would be able to have children with a human that didn't have magical abilities. Magic using humans were just close enough to them for it to be possible. Neko wasn't sure what the Senshi were anymore, but they obviously weren't human.  
  
Mamoru could hardly believe the changes within himself. He could taste the stone walls in the air. He could feel the magic flowing through the Senshi, and most especially the Primarchs. He could smell the changing hormones inside Setsuna. His sight and hearing were even more acute. Ami bent her head down as she read one of the books scattered on the table next to her, and he not only heard her hair move, but he could count the individual strands. He hadn't had a chance to try out his strength or any other improvements, but he felt confident that he could once again hold his head high when he stood with his love.  
  
"Well Neko," Mori said from his position as Mina's chair. "Now we only have one more thing to do today. The new Mau."  
  
"New Mau?" Usagi asked. "You mean there are more cats like Luna and Artemis?"  
  
"Not yet." Ami said almost inaudibly.  
  
"No Usagi, you see, I'm turning a bunch of normal cats into Mau today. Oh and Mori, don't forget to recycle the worlds landfills and junkyards."  
  
"Damn that's right. Okay, you deal with the Mau, I'll take out the trash." Mori reluctantly lifted a protesting Mina off of his lap and walked towards the door. "Mina stay here and keep the girls company, this will take me about an hour." With that the odd amber staff they had seen him summon from time to time appeared in his hand.  
  
"What is that?" Ami asked before he so much as took a step.  
  
"This?" he said lifting the long staff.  
  
"Yes. I've seen all of you carrying staves, but you don't do it often."  
  
"It's my focus-magnifier." He said like she should have already known.  
  
"What precisely does it do?" Ami asked her tone was quite a colder now.  
  
"Hmm, well to put it simply, it magnifies my powers considerably. Unaided I could collapse a spiral arm into one gigantic black hole. With the staff I could get most of a galactic cluster."  
  
"Kami, what do you need that kind of power for?" Michiru asked aghast.  
  
"Recycling." He said, and walked out the door.  
  
"Sometimes he scares me." Usagi said softly.  
  
"Usagi, sometimes he scares me." Neko replied. "Pardon me, I have to go make a lot of Mau, thank Enkil Mori already granted them Shapeshifting."  
  
********  
  
Everyone was gathered around the large kitchen table eating a delicious meal of steamed fish and rice. Even Lor and Mordred had shown up. Usagi still thought it was strange to see Hotaru so happy. When Mordred had teleported in she had literally jumped into his arms and showered his face with kisses. Of course Haruka didn't look happy about the easy intimacy between the two of them, but everyone else knew love when they saw it.  
  
What took her completely by surprise was the interaction between Lor and Setsuna. Usagi still wasn't happy with Lor for what he did to her and Mamoru. He still believed he didn't do anything wrong, but something had changed between the two time guardians. Oh Setsuna didn't rush into his arms or anything, but there was a feeling of connection between them. She could tell that Mina saw it too, which confirmed her belief.  
  
She smiled and rested her hand on Mamoru's leg beneath the table when Mina tapped Mori on the nose and kissed him when she finally got his attention. Ami was involved in a deep conversation with Mordred, but kept looking back to Neko with her feelings glowing in her eyes. Haruka and Michiru were never demonstrative in public, probably some residual fear of rejection of them for their choices, but today even their love for each other shone brightly. She sighed in pleasure when Mamoru began to nibble gently on her neck. Their relationship had strengthened greatly after weathering the doubts Lor created.  
  
Of all the Senshi, only Makoto and Rei were alone now. She knew the guys thought it was a good idea, but she still knew it would never work. The guys could convince her, and the women that loved them, that the Generals were innocent but convincing Makoto and Rei would be impossible.  
  
Makoto had lived a very hard life. She was a lot more open now than she used to be, but somewhere inside her the emotionally traumatized little girl who had struck out in anger at an uncaring world, still lived. She was far more capable of killing than any of the other Inners.  
  
Rei was almost as bad. With her mother dead, her father had abandoned her to her grandfather in order to pursue a political career. She tended to overcompensate and often jumped to conclusions. Rei was convinced completely of Jedite's guilt. Nothing she could think of would shake that certainty from the miko.  
  
Now that they had been changed it was even worse. They had no chance at all for happiness with a normal human any more. They needed someone like their lost love to even have a hope of a family. The problems they had faced for so long were growing, and spiralling out of control. She had to find a way to make them see the truth, and quickly. She could see how bad it hurt them to watch everyone else be happy when they felt so alone.  
  
Mordred stood and lightly tapped his glass with the handle of his chopstick. The ringing quickly quieted the conversations and focused all attention on him.  
  
"Let me just say congratulations. There were several possible futures stemming from today and with the choice the four of you made you have all but eliminated the worst of them. I won't say that everything is perfect now, or that you stand on the edge of peace, but your hope is far stronger. Nothing I have foreseen threatens the harmony I see here tonight. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that even Makoto and Rei already know the face of their soulmates, and will see them tonight. Don't lose heart, what you seek is within your reach." With that he raised his glass in a toast and once again took his seat. There wasn't a dry eye in the room when the window exploded inward.  
  
Three men and four girls began to glow long before the glass hit the floor. The others weren't very far behind the coloured light as their transformations lit the room in a kaleidoscopic display, ending with everyone in the room save Mordred on their feet and combat ready.  
  
"Children are the hope for the future, but it is the parents that mould those hopes. Your days of mind control and evil dominion are over creepazoid, I'm Neo-Moon and in the name of the Moon I will punish you!" Chibi-Usa stood posed dramatically in a fuku far more reminiscent of Sailor V's than anything. She had small pink wings the exact shade of her hair, and a red eye-mask which completely failed to disguise her features in the least. In her hands she held a short bladed sword, completely unlike any weapon her mother had ever wielded. She seemed poised for action, and eager to do battle.  
  
"Chibi-Usa, just what in the world do you think you're doing?" Usagi asked in a long suffering tone.  
  
"Rescuing you from the clutches of the evil Primarchs!" She shouted proudly.  
  
Everyone except Sailor Moon herself powered back down at the realization of who the mysterious attacker was. Usagi on the other hand frowned at her wayward quasi-daughter. "Minna do I sound half as silly as that why I give my speeches?"  
  
"Yes." The group chorused instantly.  
  
"Okay, new rule. No stupid speeches, just monster bashing." She said gathering the remains of her pride.  
  
"Moon Force Blade!" Chibi-Usa yelled and a pink crescent, much like Haruka's Space Sword Blaster, leapt from her kodachi and struck Mordred on the arm. He didn't appear to have noticed.  
  
"Chibi-Usa!" Usagi screamed in both fear and anger. "Stop that this instant!"  
  
"Moon Heart Wave!" The pink haired girl yelled. Again her attack flew towards Mordred, this time the attack was highly evocative of her mothers Moon Spiral Heart Attack. It had no more effect that her previous efforts.  
  
"Stop, stop, stop this at once!" Usagi pleaded at the younger girl.  
  
"Why can't I hurt you?" Neo-Moon wailed. "I'm supposed to stop the evil Primarchs, save my family and the other Senshi and live happily ever after with my dream prince, but I can't do that if you don't get moon dusted!"  
  
Mori started to laugh at the pink haired girl's plight. His humour lasted right until Neo-Moon broke down into tears and did the impossible. Mordred's aura flared the instant Neo-Moon summoned the rose. She threw the beautiful, deadly, silver projectile directly at the head of her new arch nemesis. Only Mordred realised the danger, and amazingly, it was too late.  
  
In all the Universe never before had the next series of events happened. Mordred was taken by surprise by the sudden appearance of the Lunar Rose. The reasoning was simple. The only things Mordred could not foresee were paradoxes. Chibi-Usa was a paradox. Her direct activities were occluded to his sight. It took great effort for him to see the secondary effects, and he had to have a reasonable idea what to look for. His precognitive abilities had kept him safe from his allergen for almost thirteen billion years. Chibi-Usa ended his perfect record.  
  
The rose flew towards him, but he was too shocked to react. He managed only a small movement so instead of stabbing him in the head, the rose struck him in the back. When it hit the stem bent slightly under the force required to penetrate Mordred's skin. When it snapped back to its previously arrow straight perfection the bloom flung its pollen all over him, and instantly the most powerful being in the Universe was reduced to mortal capabilities. His aura gutted and died like a match under a fire hose. Everyone but Neo-Moon and Mordred were totally silent for several seconds.  
  
"Yatta!" Neo-Moon shouted.  
  
"This wasn't supposed to happen." Mordred remarked, still sounding in shock when Neo-Moon's Heart Wave became the first thing ever to wound him.  
  
Mordred was knocked backwards into the wall by the attack. The wards flashed brilliantly saving the structure, Mordred on the other hand was critically wounded. The attack had torn through the magical protections offered by his uniform. Still having more than enough power left over to drive his broken ribs into his lungs. He groaned in agony and rolled away from the wall. Neo-Moon drew back for a second attack instantly.  
  
"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Mori said, his voice heavily laced with fear.  
  
"We have to help him!" Hotaru shouted and moved to protect her fallen lover.  
  
Lor was terrified. The stupid girl had no idea what she was doing. Assuming that she actually did manage to kill Mordred the entire universe would come to an end within hours. Without Entropy the delicate balance between life and death would be destroyed. He had to do something, but there was no way he was getting anywhere near Mordred. He looked pissed.  
  
Mori took matters into his own hands. He was of the firm belief that Entropy could not die. No matter what it looked like right then. Mordred could however get angry. He knew that if Neo-Moon made the smallest mistake Mordred would still be able to cast mortal magic. He had managed to do so with a silverran arrow in his shoulder. Mordred also wasn't known for moderation when irritated. Mori responded in the safest way possible. He simply grabbed Mina, Rei and Usagi and summoned an Invulnerability Field.  
  
Neko took one look at the rage building in Mordred's eyes and began looking for an exit. Of course he knew that there really wasn't anywhere to go, but that didn't stop his desire to flee. He caught Mori's defensive action out of the corner of his eye and agreed whole heartedly with the idea. He pulled Ami, Makoto and Endymion in close and erected his own Field.  
  
Setsuna was positive that she was going to die. Mori and Neko had pulled over half the Senshi into their protective barriers, and she desperately wished Lor would do the same. That looked unlikely though since he was too stunned by what was happening to think clearly. Haruka and Michiru were holding each other close with looks of fear and resignation on their faces. She looked again at Mordred and watched as a Force Blade opened a forty centimetre long cut on his chest. Neo-Moon cheered and drew back for another strike. Her Force Blade stopped inches from her target, dissipated in mid air where it came in contact with the nearly impenetrable barrier erected by forty kilograms of furious ebon haired girl.  
  
Neo-Moon had no idea what had happened until she noticed Hotaru step in front of Mordred. She didn't understand how Hotaru could have blocked the attack, she wasn't even transformed. Of course she was glowing with a purple-black light which reminded Neo-Moon strongly of every Negative Energy wielder she had ever seen.  
  
"Chibi-Usa, stop this!" Hotaru yelled at her. This got everyone's attention, Hotaru never raised her voice. "You honestly have no idea what you are doing!"  
  
"Hotaru-chan, I'm trying to save you please don't fight me! I don't want to hurt you." The pink haired girl responded.  
  
"Save me from what? From falling in love? From having friends? From becoming someone I can respect? Or do you mean from living to see tomorrow, because if you don't stop none of us will!"  
  
"Hotaru-chan I know how you feel. I remember when Wiseman had me brainwashed." she said.  
  
"That couldn't have taken very long." Mori muttered.  
  
"Don't you have to have a brain for that?" Neko said to Ami.  
  
".but you have to fight it Hotaru-chan. We can't let them win. Crystal Tokyo must be built, it's the only hope for the future!" Neo-Moon implored her friend.  
  
"Chibi-Usa look around you, all of the Senshi agree with the Primarchs. Artemis and Luna agree with them, even your own parents have given up on Crystal Tokyo."  
  
"The Primarchs have you all under their control! You have to believe me!"  
  
"Crystal Tokyo is dead. The idea was an abomination. The Primarchs don't have us under their control, but in your precious Crystal Tokyo your family did."  
  
"Do you mean the Cleansing?" At Hotaru's nod Neo-Moon shook her head. "The people allowed my mother to cleanse them, it's not the same thing!"  
  
"What happened to the people that didn't allow it Chibi-Usa? Did she let them live their lives as they saw fit? Did she leave people their free will? How did she become Queen in the first place? Let me remind you of your own words. She declared herself Queen. Where did she get that kind of right?"  
  
"She saved the world! They needed her to protect them and she had to be in charge to do it!"  
  
"So because she was the strongest she had the right? That's tyranny. That's a yakuza protection racket taken to planetary size. Almost every enemy that attacked was ours, not the people of Earth's. By your ideas of right and wrong the Primarchs would have the right to do the same thing, but they haven't. You need to get it through your spoiled princess little head that we choose to stand with them."  
  
"You're wrong Hotaru, and I'm sorry you can't see it." She looked around sadly at the obviously brainwashed Senshi and the glowing bubbles that marked where Mori and Neko and disappeared with their captives and sighed. "But I know something you haven't seemed to figure out. I'm still here so Crystal Tokyo must still be the future. I will defeat you." She raised her kodachi and prepared to do battle with her best friend.  
  
"/Agony Surge./" Mordred said just loud enough to cut through the impending battle. All eyes darted to him ignoring the pink haired girl writhing on the ground.  
  
Mordred stood straight despite the obviously crippling wounds he bore. His eyes were pools of liquid darkness, giving not even the slightest hint to his feelings. His tattered clothing hung about him dripping blood from his many wounds, yet despite his obvious pain his face remained impassive.  
  
"Mordred." Hotaru whispered, her voice heavy with emotion. She felt like crying seeing his obvious suffering. Before she could reach out to him it happened.  
  
A flicker of purple-black light flared around him, an instant later it repeated. A sound similar to electrical crackling accompanied the visual phenomenon. As they group watched both the length and frequency of the flickers increased rapidly until it appeared as if Mordred were surrounded by a strobe light of his aura.  
  
"How in the hell." Mori whispered to himself.  
  
"Enkil! He's fighting off the allergen! How can he do that?" Neko said in wonder.  
  
Ami on the other hand had opened her computer and was taking readings. Not that she understood them just yet, but she had the feeling they would come in handy. Neko's words had her interested if Mordred was doing what Neko believed, then he was doing something even he had said was impossible.  
  
Usagi stared through the barrier that Mori had put around them. She was biting her nails in fear, first for Mordred, who was really a very nice man. He always treated Hotaru so well, and he even kept Mori and Neko from hurting anyone during the fight, soon though she became worried for Hotaru. Even though Hotaru was saying bad things about the way she would have became Queen and how she would have ruled, Usagi knew it was because of how much Hotaru loved Mordred. Besides, she thought, it was true when you look at it the way the Primarchs did. When Mordred stood up and hurt Chibi-Usa it took everything Mina and Rei could do to keep her from rushing out to help her.  
  
Mamoru stared at the scene before him and could hardly contain his pride. That was his little girl out there kicking the ass of the most powerful being he had ever heard of. He didn't seriously expect it to last forever, and was completely unsurprised when Hotaru intervened. The things Hotaru said made him angry, but he could see her point. When Chibi-Usa started screaming in pain he ran towards her, and bounced ineffectually off the wall of the bubble that surrounded him.  
  
"Let me out of here! I have to protect her!" He screamed at Neko. The sound of Makoto laughing scornfully at him drew his attention.  
  
"You want to get in his way? You must be out of your mind, that has to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard."  
  
"She's not the only person that can throw roses." He reminded Makoto frostily.  
  
"That wasn't a typical rose Mamoru." Ami said without even bothering to look at him. "There was something special about it, and I highly doubt you could mimic her accomplishment."  
  
"Let me out of here!" he screamed again.  
  
"No," Neko said with finality. "I have no desire to try to comfort Usagi after watching you die."  
  
Back outside the spheres Haruka and Michiru watched as Mordred's aura flared once again, brighter than ever and finally stabilized. The instant that happened all signs of him ever having been wounded simply disappeared.  
  
"Fuck me." Lor whispered at the unbelievable sight of Mordred apparently healing allergen wounds.  
  
"Later anata," Setsuna said still watching the unfolding scene, "I doubt that would be very appropriate at the moment."  
  
"Mordred?" Hotaru asked fearfully.  
  
"Please move away from Chibi-Usa, Hotaru-chan." He said very politely.  
  
"Please don't kill her Mordred, she's just confused and scared. She doesn't know what has happened." Hotaru pleaded for her friend.  
  
"Do not worry little firefly. I promise she will survive." Something about the way he said it made her even more afraid for Chibi-Usa. Hotaru gave serious consideration to the idea that Chibi-Usa might well not want to live after Mordred got done with her. Knowing there was very little she could do to stop whatever he chose to do anyway, Hotaru stepped away from the thrashing pink haired teenager and awaited the inevitable.  
  
She was in agony. Never in her entire life had she ever hurt this bad. It felt like all of her nerves had been lit on fire while being electrocuted and repeatedly stabbed in the stomach. Her tears were not comprised wholly of pain though. She also cried in anger at the betrayal Hotaru had been forced to commit, shame for her failure to defeat her enemy, and depression at the knowledge that she would die and Crystal Tokyo would never come to be. It took her several seconds of screaming to realize that the pain had stopped.  
  
She looked up from her undignified position on the ground and saw her nemesis standing over her. His face was absolutely expressionless, his black eyes reflected nothing of his thoughts. She could clearly feel the cold menace rolling off his aura however.  
  
"Chibi-Usa, you have done something I have managed to avoid since the beginning of time. Until today I have managed quite simply to keep from coming into contact with my allergen, and I was happy that way. Your stupidity makes me regret saving you from Lor, do you understand me child?"  
  
"I'm not afraid of you." She said shakily from the ground. "Good will always prevail." She sounded far more confident that she felt.  
  
"You will survive this for one reason only, Usagi Chiba. Hotaru asked me to spare you. You will not however go unpunished." Mordred sat down in mid air and Chibi-Usa was instantly teleported belly down across his lap. "You have obviously been coddled your entire life. That of course will change, immediately. I am already completely sick of your melodramatic, ignorant, incessant whining. Your previous social position is gone. It is time you grew up and took responsibility for your actions, starting now." He glared down at the prostrate girl and for the first time since the trouble started and expression crossed his face, amusement.  
  
"Since you have chosen to behave like a child though, this time you will be punished like one." With that he lifted her skirt over her back pulled her panties down and proceeded to spank her, in front of all of her friends and family. She wished he would have just killed her.  
  
********  
  
"That could have gone worse." Mori said once everyone other than Ami and Mina had left. "At least Hotaru was able keep him from killing her anyway." He restated at the flat looks he received.  
  
"Mori," Ami said severely, "he hit her hard enough to fracture her hips. Her tailbone was broken into six pieces, and even after Usagi healed her, her butt was nothing but one giant bruise."  
  
"Like I said it could have been worse."  
  
"I think getting spanked had to be the most embarrassing thing he could have done to her." Mina said quietly. "In Crystal Tokyo she was a princess. I bet no one ever did that to her before or if they did it was in private. He did it right there in front of everyone."  
  
"She was lucky we were in the apartment when she attacked him. Do you think having civilian witnesses would have made any difference? I don't." He grinned at the thought. "Can you imagine the media response to a Senshi getting a public spanking?" He grinned wickedly at Ami with a considering look.  
  
"Don't even think about it Neko." She said in warning.  
  
Their peace was shattered when Ami's computer began to beep a warning just as Mori and Neko felt a strong magical pulse.  
  
"Ami call the others, there are at least five point summoning sources out there. It looks like Iria is back."  
  
With as many disturbances as there were the Senshi were forced to split up. It took no time at all to decide that it was unnecessary for either Ami or Mina to have backup, the simple fact that Mori and Neko would be with their respective lovers assured their safety. Neither Setsuna nor Chibi-Usa were in any condition to join the battle, but Haruka, Hotaru and Michiru were already headed towards the closest disturbance to them. Usagi and Mamoru were on the way towards the shopping district where yet another disturbance had been detected. This of course left only Makoto and Rei to deal with the remaining threat. Ami hoped they were up to it.  
  
Mina and Mori were the first to make contact with the enemy. The creature was a slimy ten metre long worm-like thing with tufts of wiry fur growing at random points along its body. Its behaviour was snakelike and it moved with striking quickness. Mina suppressed her disgust at the creature's appearance.  
  
"This is your chance Venus." Mori said to her as the creature rammed into a city bus obviously seeking the prey it sensed inside.  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked in a half pleading tone. She had an idea what he meant, and didn't like it one bit.  
  
"This is your first chance to go into battle using real magic. Don't worry, I have faith in you." The worm exhaled a noxious looking green cloud onto the bus, which immediately began to dissolve.  
  
She drew herself up to her full, and completely unimposing, one hundred sixty centimetres and spun to face the worm. She raised a single hand out straight before her and quickly pulled it back over her shoulder in line with her ear. She snapped her arm in a whip-like motion and chanted the words she had practiced so hard to learn. "/Mono-Whip!/" she screamed in Aleph, and an impossibly thin golden band snapped forward, bisecting the worm.  
  
Of course it didn't have quite the effect Mina was hoping for. First, cutting a worm in half does little more than irritate it, more importantly Mina had once again failed to take into account the fact of just how good the monomolecular whip was at cutting through materials such as streets and subway tunnels. As she drew the whip back for a second strike it continued slicing through the pavement, into the cavern below. As she prepared to strike out again the ground beneath them gave way, dropping her, Mori, both halves of the worm, and a rapidly melting city bus full of people into the subway terminal beneath their feet.  
  
Ami and Neko teleported directly to the front of the movie theatre. A brief memory of her failed attempt to stalk Neko made her smile. Her good humour lasted as long as it took her to see what was going on. A monster, obviously a Yugoloth by the description she had heard, was quite busy doing what it did best, killing people. It flashed from place to place quickly enough that it would have been hard to see before the Primarchs came. It took her no time at all to come to a decision.  
  
"/Icelance!/" She screamed and watched as the Yugoloth ineffectually tried to dodge the metre long shard. As expected it failed and she was rewarded with an inhuman scream of pain. If she thought that would end the battle however she was greatly mistaken.  
  
The Yugoloth pulled the shard from its stomach and hurled it back at her. She easily dodged, but in the moment of distraction she lost track of the Yugoloth. That of course was what Neko would call a Bad Thing.  
  
The Yugoloth struck her from behind before she was able to locate it. Her anklet not only flashed, it became incredibly hot, giving Ami an idea just how much force it had absorbed. Though she reeled from the unexpected blow she quite easily found her attacker, and she made very sure she wouldn't lose him again.  
  
"/Ice Blades!/" she screamed, and hundreds of tiny shards of razor sharp ice danced madly in the air around the Yugoloth. Its black blood rained down on the ground below it from the gruesome wounds they inflicted. The Yugoloth looked up at her, and Ami could feel the hate in its glowing red eyes. She knew its wounds were mortal, and so did it. It wasn't going to die alone though if it had anything to do with the situation. The Yugoloth pointed a single four fingered hand at her, and did something she never contemplated as a possibility. It cast a spell at her.  
  
"/Shadow Spear./" It hissed hatefully. Ami watched in stunned disbelief at the metre long bolt of darkness tore through the air towards her. There was no dodging that, she knew it.  
  
"/Soulblaze!/" Neko's voice cut through her fear. At the same instant he materialized in front of her, blocking the spear with his own body. The Yugoloth fell to the ground and faded into mist.  
  
"Well that sucked." Neko said when the spear disappeared leaving a rapidly closing bleeding wound. "Remind me to teach you how to shield yourself"  
  
Sailor Moon leapt to the top of the boutique and frantically searched for the enemy. She could already see evidence of its passing. Several unmoving civilians laying strewn about like dolls left behind after a child's tantrum put a sick weight on her heart. Endymion stood on a lamp post on the other side of the street also searching for the monster, but he has having no better luck.  
  
"Moon, I think it's moved on, see if you can contact Mercury and learn whe." His words were cut off in a scream as something yanked hard on his ankle sending him face first into the ground. Usagi looked but didn't see his attacker.  
  
When Endymion hit the ground he tried to roll over and get back to his feet, but the monster still had a hold of his leg. He kicked backwards, yet hit nothing but air.  
  
"Moon, it's got my leg!" He yelled somewhat in panic. Invisible opponents were not something he had ever had to deal with.  
  
Moon looked again, but still couldn't see Endymion's assailant. Something nagged at the back of her mind that there was something out of place, but she didn't have time to waste figuring it out. Her strongest attack was wide enough to hit the monster no matter where it stood as long as it continued to hold Endymion's leg.  
  
"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" She yelled and watched in amazement as the heart streaked away like a comet. It passed through where Mamoru's attacker should have been a fraction of a second after she released it, and hit nothing.  
  
"Quesahh Hallan" A voice called out, seemingly from everywhere. Black lightning rushed up to completely cover Endymion. The screams were horrific.  
  
"Mamo-chan!" Moon called in anguish and launched another attack at where she believed the still unseen assailant had to be.  
  
"Dezzu nothras kinzu tse doomalla githis tor." The voice again echoed. She sensed the attack an instant before it struck, and just managed to get her hands in front of her face as it hit. Hundreds of blood red spheres lashed against the nearly skin tight barrier that had mysteriously encased her. Though she remained unharmed, the noise of the multiple explosions shook the Moon Senshi badly.  
  
The lightning had finally stopped arcing around him, and Endymion was tired of playing the victim. He could feel the power he had suffered so badly for just beneath his skin. Words came unbidden into his mind. Along with a fairly good idea what would happen if he said them.  
  
"Petal Storm!" He yelled, and thousands of immeasurably sharp flower petals appeared and wove a sphere around him that nothing should have survived.  
  
Moon heard Endymion's new attack just as the explosions around her halted. She watched in fascination as the beautiful but deadly sphere formed, and the thing nagging at her mind crystallized. If she was correct Endymion's sphere had accomplished little but to buy him some breathing room.  
  
"Endymion!" she yelled when the sphere dissipated. "Watch out of the shadows!" Endymion looked around in confusion, but it was too late by the time he understood.  
  
Three shadows slid sickeningly across the ground. Their vaguely, yet out of proportion, humanoid shapes seemed to elongate further as they reached for him. He recoiled in an attempt to get away, but he misjudged their intent. Instead of striking at him, the closest slashed at his shadow and a long gash appeared in his thigh.  
  
Moon knew what her targets were now. She smiled grimly and raised her hand at the nearest enemy. It didn't seem to notice her attention, and in truth it was far too late for it. Moon called out perhaps the most powerful solo attack she had ever contemplated.  
  
"Moon Cosmic Ray!"  
  
She had no idea where the idea for the attack had come from, but the results were satisfying. A silver beam of light twenty centimetres thick fired from the palm of hand. It shot towards the shadow causing the air to ripple with its passing. The shadow looked up just in time to see its doom. The sliver light passed through it without even showing the slightest reduction in its intensity. The shadow she targeted disassociated, as did the one behind it that she only managed to graze. In an instant only one attacker remained, and for the first time in its existence it was afraid for its life.  
  
Endymion wasted no time at all. As soon as the shadow stopped moving he threw an energy draining rose at it. The rose impaled the shadow, seeming to nail it to the ground. Endymion looked at the woman he loved with pride shining in his eyes. He bowed in her direction and watched as she wiped another threat to humanity from the cosmos.  
  
Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn made remarkable time getting to the exclusive neighbourhood that was the sight of their assigned monster attack. Uranus keep watching Saturn for signs of becoming tired by the high level of physical activity, but unsurprisingly she never slowed.  
  
Uranus tried not to think about the implications of that, yet she couldn't stop herself. Saturn was physically much improved from the little girl she had been only months ago. Though Uranus had no evidence as of yet, she was willing to bet that Saturn would also have substantially more potent magical power as well. Saturn had admitted as much by not disputing Mori's claim that she had been absorbing Primarch energies. That left only one possibility in Uranus' mind. She had been sleeping with Mordred.  
  
It hurt to think of her little girl acting so grown up. She was proud of Saturn's new self confidence, and her new attitude had done wonders for her ability to make friends at school, but she missed being the most important person in Saturn's life. Uranus decided to have a talk with Mordred. He probably wouldn't listen to her, and there was nothing she could do to stop him, but she wasn't going to sit back and allow him to take advantage of a fourteen year old girl.  
  
Neptune sighed at Uranus' obvious growing irritation. She was astute enough to know it had to do with Saturn's obvious actions. She herself was mildly curious just where the little girl had learned to manipulate Mordred as well as she had during lunch. It was only a few hours ago yet it felt like days.  
  
She was still slightly twitchy after what she had gone through to increase her power. She knew she would never be able to look Neko in the eyes again. Even so she had a job to do, and wool-gathering about the mind blowing sensations she had so recently experienced would only put her and the people she loved at risk.  
  
The creature was pathetically easy to find. Of course hiding a four metre tall vaguely draconic quadrupedial killing machine in a residential neighbourhood was asking a bit much. Despite being a draconic quadruped it still had a human-like torso, though it too was covered in scales and had a bony ridge for a mouth much like a turtle. It was obviously very strong, but seemed quite content to throw fireballs rather than engage in the destruction with its hands. Uranus didn't give it a chance to notice them before she taught it some respect.  
  
"World Shaking!" She yelled, and the yellow ball of energy struck the monstrosity with the force of a tac-nuke. The shockwave levelled everything within two hundred metres. Secondary explosions caused by the ignition of combustibles ran rampant yet no fire could survive the wind rush when the air poured back into the area following the detonation. Uranus was paralyzed with fear of her own power, never before had she even dreamed of anything like what she had just done.  
  
The creature was still alive. It didn't even look that terribly injured. It was bleeding from a few isolated injuries, but on the whole it was still quite combat capable. Of course that was before Neptune's attack hit.  
  
Uranus was obviously not the only one boosted to that extreme level of power. Neptune's attack was no longer confined to a sphere. It now took the form of a tsunami. The fifteen metre high wave streaked forward faster than the speed of sound. The creature was literally swept away the entire half kilometre that the wave continued. Neptune stared in horror at the collateral damage she and Uranus had caused. The creature had hardly done a tenth the damage they had. She was terrified to think of how many people were hurt or worse by their actions.  
  
The draconic thing once again got to its feet following Neptune's attack, looking considerably worse than it had. It limped forwards indicating one of its legs had broken. Its right arm hung limply at its side, and one eye was bleeding profusely. Still it came forward. It made a throwing motion with its hand and before anyone could react Uranus was tossed backwards into a large pile of debris by an unseen force.  
  
Saturn had seen enough. She could tell that the creature had begun to slowly regenerate its wounds. She acknowledged that its regeneration was only slow compared to Neko's and Mordred's. At its current speed it would be perfectly healthy in a matter of minutes. She would not allow that to happen. She briefly considered using the Silence Glaive, there was no danger of hitting anything else now that Uranus and Neptune had destroyed everything but the creature and themselves within nearly a square kilometre, but that wouldn't make the statement she wanted to send to the summoners of this thing. If she remembered what Mordred had told her correctly, this could only be an Akulin, one of the most powerful beings of the Nexus. She stepped in front of Neptune and waited until the thing was less than ten metres away before she struck.  
  
"/Entropy Shockwave!/" She screamed, and all hell broke loose.  
  
A cone of oblivion three centimetres wide at the base continuing in a thirty degree arc for just under one hundred metres struck the charging Akulin head on. Saturn knew it would survive the spell, but it wouldn't like it. Everything within the cone except the Akulin simply ceased to be. Just like her silence glaive attacks it made no sound at all. The Akulin was held perfectly still by the magic, and when the wave passed the excess entropy it had left with the Akulin wreaked havoc with its life force.  
  
"/Darkbolt!/" She called out. An ebon blast leapt from her pointed finger and hurled the stunned Akulin backwards. It landed a dozen metres away and curled in upon itself in obvious pain. One more like that would easily end the beast, but she still needed to send the proper message.  
  
"/Dahak, Lord of entropy I call to thee. Dahak, I beseech thee hear my plea. Shadows of Entropy, Devourer of time, I command the claws of oblivion to tear forth. Remove from my sight that which I find abhorrent. Consume this stain upon the beauty of Nothingness. Open the eye of Daharu!"/" She finished.  
  
A twenty metre across black dome flashed into being. It lasted for less than a second, but when it passed there was no trace of the Akulin, or anything else that had been there either. The fact that a hole in the ground marked the position of where the effect had stood made it clear that it had actually been a sphere. Neptune, and Uranus now that she had removed herself from the debris she had landed in, looked in awe at the destruction their little girl had wrought. Saturn stretched her hands over her head and smiled at them. She didn't even look winded.  
  
"That was much easier than using the Silence Glaive use to be." She said with a happy little smile before starting on her way back towards their home.  
  
"Michiru," Uranus said quietly to her partner despite the fact that they were currently transformed.  
  
"Yes Haruka?" Neptune responded.  
  
"Remind me to never, ever make her angry."  
  
"Yes anata."  
  
Rei knew even before her communicator had gone off that something had happened. She could feel something dark and evil out there, like a coating of oil on her skin. Makoto was at her house when the call came, so it made sense that they would meet the disturbance at the grove near the old Imperial Palace. It was a very long trip, but they had made it before, and they were much faster now.  
  
It took the two of them less than five minutes to cover the distance to the sixty two hectare park. Finding the source of the disturbance once they arrived was considerable more difficult. There was almost no one in the large protected forest, and the lack of explosions and screaming civilians left them with few clues.  
  
"Where is it?" Jupiter asked softly, not really expecting any sort of an answer.  
  
"I think its somewhere over in that direction." Mars replied quietly. "I can sort of feel it." She replied to Jupiter's questioning look.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Not really, this is a first for me."  
  
Jupiter didn't inquire further. It was glaringly obvious that Mars' new perception was the result of today's. activities. She still felt the occasional twinge of sensation from this afternoon. The sun had not yet set, telling her how short of a time it had been since her life had changed so dramatically. Her body felt strange to her, as if she had put on someone else's. She did her best to ignore it, and hoped Mars was having better luck at keeping her mind on the job.  
  
Mars followed the feeling of evil that she could sense off to her south. She leapt high into a tree to get a slightly better view, and nearly fell as yet another shudder from the damnable transformation struck her. The absolute worst part in her opinion was the memories it invoked. She was positive that the other girls were remembering the caress of their lovers from now, not so for her however. She had no one in this life to compare it to, so of course she was reminded of Jedite. The evil she could feel made an excellent backdrop for her memories of the traitor.  
  
She was lost in her memories, and trying to think of just how to pay Mori back for her current problems when the feelings of evil spiked hard. She just managed to drop down from the tree in time to avoid being cut in half.  
  
"Mars!" Jupiter yelled. "Are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine!" She yelled back from beneath the fallen foliage. "Look out it's in the trees."  
  
Jupiter got a brief look at a small thin primate-like creature with improbably large claws before it vanished into the treetops. She quickly moved into the largest open space she could see and concentrated all her efforts on locating the thing. Moments later Mars joined her, and back to back they watched the trees.  
  
"Over there!" Mars shouted and called out her attack even as Jupiter was turning to face the threat.  
  
"Mars Flame Sniper!" She called. The results were far more than either of them had expected. Jupiter had no idea what the liquid flame that poured out of Rei like a fire hose was, but she was getting burns just by standing too close, and she just knew some of her bangs had just burned off. Of course the primate had no idea what happened either. The thing fell to the ground twitching and flailing ineffectually. Well more than half of its body had been turned to ash.  
  
"Jeez Mars, save some for me next time." She said with a half smile.  
  
"Umm," Mars said still looking distracted.  
  
"What?" Jupiter asked.  
  
"I don't think its dead." She answered.  
  
Jupiter cast a disbelieving look at the charred and mangled body and simply had to disagree. There was no way anything survived that. Just to make sure however Jupiter walked up and prodded it with the toe of her boot. She got the surprise of her life when something jumped out from inside the primate and tried to wrap itself around her. Only her new speed saved her from whatever fate awaited her.  
  
"Ewww!" Mars screamed looking at the thing. She had had nightmares that started like this.  
  
The creature was little more than a half metre across ball of spine covered tendril-like appendages. It could have quite easily played the primary roll in uncountable numbers of H-manga. She had no intention of even getting close to it.  
  
"Oh that's just nasty!" Jupiter said easily understanding Mars' reaction. She also had no desire to let it get close to her. She dived further out of its path and launched her attack.  
  
"Jupiter, Oak Evolution!" The leaflets streaked away from her faster than ever before. They struck the small spiny ball of perversion and detonated into green bursts of light. The ball was quickly reduced to less than half its original size, but the severed tendrils squirmed sickeningly where the lay.  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick." Mars said as one of the severed tendrils tried vainly to wrap itself around her leg. She burned it to ash and prepared to strike again at the main mass. When it launched an undamaged tendril into the trees and quickly pulled itself out of view she barely managed to halt her attack.  
  
"What is that thing?" Jupiter said as they resumed looking for it. Mars had began to move off in the direction it had gone, obviously following the faint sense of it presence she had.  
  
"I don't know, but I don't like it at all." She stated needlessly. The severed tendrils the passed made half hearted attempts to grasp at them, but quickly succumbed to Mars' fiery temper. "Did you notice it was regenerating?" Mars's asked. "It seems all of the things we've fought recently can do that."  
  
"Yea, but how long till its fully healed I wonder."  
  
"Probably too soon, I think it's outside the park." Mars replied. The two girls picked up speed and soon found themselves crossing the wall that separated the palace from the forest. "Look, it's been here." She said pointing at the stick green substance that had been leaking from the damaged tendrils that now lay on the top of the wall.  
  
"Yuck," Jupiter said.  
  
The girls walked slowly and cautiously towards the palace stables following both Mars's sense of evil and the stick green fluid trail the creature was leaving behind. One of the doors had been obviously forced open, so they carefully snuck in each mentally cursing the darkness inside. The sound of movement was the only warning they had.  
  
Something shot down from above them wrapping around their wrists and jerking them off the ground to dangle several feet in the air. The small of blood flooded the room at this height. Jupiter was terrified to think of what could be causing it.  
  
"Fire Soul!" Mars yelled, and the liquid fire shot out of her bound hands to impact on the underside of the exposed tile roof. The flame splashed down, falling on the hay in the loft instantly igniting the highly combustible material. In the eerie flickering light that sprung up both girls could clearly see the half dozen or so slaughtered horses the creature seemed to be feeding on. Two of its tendrils were stretched over the central support beam, and they were what held the struggling girls, the others wrapped tightly around the unfortunate equines the spines hooked deep into their flesh. It was clear that it was drinking their blood.  
  
"That's it, there's no way I'm getting raped by some blood sucking hentai plant!" Jupiter yelled. "Supreme Thunder!"  
  
The lightning had nowhere to go, normally it would follow as she directed with her hands, but Jupiter was held in such a way that she was pointing at her friend, and she refused to electrocute Mars. She channelled the lighting inwardly, and cheered at the effect. She was also very glad for Mori's alteration that rendered her immune to it. The lightning did as all good electricity should, it took the shortest rout to ground. Since the thing held Jupiter in the air, it had no choice but to flow through it to get there. The tendril ball twitched spasmodically and the unfortunate horses died from electrocution, but it dropped the struggling Jupiter like a hot coal. Mars wasn't anywhere near as lucky.  
  
Mars had the luck to also be off the ground, which insured that she was not electrocuted, but when the creature convulsed from the attack she was thrown into the stone wall of the stables. She slid down into a pile of pain and wished with all her heart for the day she wouldn't hurt like she did.  
  
Something black passed Jupiter as she climbed to her feet. It was humanoid, but that was the best she could tell before it began harassing the plant creature. The plant lashed out violently at its newest attacker, but didn't appear to hit it. She was just about to launch another Oak Evolution when she was tackled but someone. The sound of a tendril whistle over her head made her grateful that whomever this was saved her from taking another hit. She looked up to say her thanks and froze in shock. The Tuxedo Kaman outfit didn't stand a chance in hell of disguising him from her. She'd know Nephrite no matter how well disguised he was.  
  
"Not now Jupiter-chan." He whispered at the look of rage in her eyes then grinned with an expression she would see in her dreams for the rest of her life. As she began to push her way up despite lying under the former Dark General he leaned down and brushed her lips with his own. Once she got over the shock she decided that he had to die, again.  
  
Mars had managed to get to her feet in time to see some strange man dressed like Tuxedo Kaman kissing Jupiter. It wasn't that she had any moral objections against kissing, but a battlefield in the middle of a life, death or worse battle was hardly the time or the place. One should also note that she was still a bit keyed up by her experience that afternoon when she responded.  
  
"Jupiter if you wouldn't mind telling your boyfriend to get off you so we can finish this thing off I promise not to interrupt you sucking on his tongue." Her tone was just a bit hostile, and her words drew the exact response she was looking for from Jupiter, focused rage. Thankfully there was a nasty looking hentai monster for her to vent on.  
  
Jupiter decided she would have to kill Mars too. Right after she gutted Nephrite with a stirring spoon, a wooden one. It was really too bad that Mars had to die, she was a wonderful friend.  
  
"Try not to take Mars' words personally Jupiter." A voice called from the darkness. "Mars is. temperamental, with the emphasis on mental." By the time the unseen man's words ended Mars looked like she was going to explode. While she was busy looking for the man insane enough to taunt her, one of the electrocuted horses stood up and kicked the plant sphere into the wall. It had didn't even have a chance to come to a complete stop before the blue-white lightning bolt struck it from the darkness. The man that cast the bolt was briefly illuminated, but it was over too quick for Mars to get more than an impression of his shape.  
  
The Tuxedo Kaman knock off launched a swirling blue ball of misty light at the spiny thing while the shadowy person continued to distract it. Jupiter nodded at Mars and the two attacked it in unison, their powers combining in mid air. The resultant explosion completely destroyed the stables that had stood since before the Mejiin Restoration, and allowed the two men to escape in the confusion of raining debris.  
  
Jupiter took one look at the devastation and turned a pleading look on Mars. "We really need to get out of here." She said and the distant sounds of police sirens guaranteed that Mars' agreement came quickly.  
  
********  
  
Mamoru half lay on his couch in exhaustion. To say the day had been full would be a rank understatement. Quite aside from the term paper he had started on in his psychology course at Todai, he had been remade into something inhuman, put through more pain than he had ever imagined, beaten up by a shadow, and of course he couldn't forget the powerful mental summons Mori had used to let him know they needed to talk to him. He still had a headache from that. It was simply amazing he hadn't passed out yet.  
  
He stared blankly at the local news program that was ever so busy trying to find rational explanations for the devastation caused by the powered up Senshi's attacks. When the girls had each called in and explained what they had faced, it became blatantly obvious that they needed to learn to control their new powers. The entire Kozentaru Hinode neighbourhood was just gone. The causality reports hadn't even begun to abate. Haruka and Michiru would likely never forgive themselves. A knock at his door interrupted his thoughts, and had him checking the clock. He wondered who would call on him at that time of the night.  
  
"Hi Mamo-chan." His girlfriend chirped at him when he finally got the door opened. She hopped up and kissed him with a curious smirk on her face.  
  
"Usagi? What are you doing here at this time of night?" He asked her.  
  
"I missed you Mamo-chan. Today was just such a bad day I couldn't bear to be alone right now." He smile was slightly hentai. The effect on him was staggering.  
  
"Usako, you know I love you but this isn't the night for this." He was feeling slightly nervous of her. The experience was disturbing.  
  
"But Mamo-chan." she said sadly, her eyes huge and shiny. "Every time I close my eyes I see all those people lying around that the Laira killed, or I remember what Mako-chan said about the Kilthor, or even what Mina said about the Wyrm. Please Mamo-chan don't make me leave." She sniffed sadly.  
  
"Oh Usako," he said drawing her close. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm just a little tired and worried about what happened." She nodded her understanding against his chest leaving little damp spots on his shirt from her tears. "The Senshi need to learn to control their new powers before something worse happens."  
  
"I know Mamo-chan. I'm a little scared of what happened. They didn't used to be so powerful."  
  
"Well you know what Mori said, if they didn't do it they would have been killed by the demons."  
  
"Nexus creatures," Usagi corrected automatically. "Demons are just weak half-breeds"  
  
"Right sorry," He replied. "Do your parents know you're here?" He felt her shake her head no. "What about Chibi-Usa?"  
  
"She's tied up with Diana right now." Usagi responded.  
  
"Is she ok? Mordred hurt her pretty bad."  
  
"She's fine, she's an Ulterran it takes more than a few bruises to keep us down." She leaned up again and kissed Mamoru as deeply as she could without him actively participating. "Mamo-chan?" She said he voice carrying an obvious question.  
  
"Usagi, aren't you tired after today?"  
  
"No, I hardly did anything at all. Please Mamo-chan, don't turn me away. I need you."  
  
Mamoru knew he should have told her to go home. Tomorrow was a school day, and Usagi would get little enough sleep as it was if she left right then. Taking her to bed would be selfish in the extreme. He didn't stand a chance. She pressed herself fully against him, demonstrating instantly that she wasn't wearing a bra and she was already quite excited.  
  
"Usako," he said trying to explain his reticence. "What about school tomorrow?"  
  
"Don't worry about it Mamo-chan. I have it all under control." With those words she had had enough of his hesitance. Using her body she gently pushed him back towards the couch. He fell into a sitting position when his knees unexpectedly hit the arm. It took her no time at all to have him sitting properly with her straddling his hips.  
  
"Usako!" he said slightly in amazement. She was never this forward.  
  
"Shhh." She said softly. "Let me love you."  
  
Mamoru simply couldn't believe what was happening. She began to kiss him deeply, and his response was automatic. She was very enthusiastic and the little noises she made coaxed an amazing response from him. He was lost in her touch long before she even got around to undoing his pants. His heart stopped completely when she gently and without the slightest hint of a blush took his manhood in her hand and began to stroke him.  
  
She made him feel things he had never even dreamed of before. Never in his life had he imagined just how many ways a woman could stroke him, or the plethora of sensations it could cause. Usually Usako was quite eager to please him, but for all intents and purposes had little practical skills in lovemaking. She had only lost her virginity a short time ago, and he was the only man she had ever been with. She simply hadn't had time to figure these things out. Obviously the memories she claimed were returning brought with it a very large benefit for him. He nearly crawled out of his skin when she slid down his body and took him completely into her mouth.  
  
"Usako!" He gasped at the feeling and his mind retreated to wait out the storm of hormones. Less than five minutes later he was simply gibbering, her skilful oral exploitation of him had reduced his brain to putty. She very lightly drew her teeth along him and swirled her tongue over the sensitive crown. He lost it instantly. His fingers literally tore through the cushions on his couch with the massive wave of pleasure that surged through him. He was gasping for air and felt incredibly light headed.  
  
"Shh Mamo-chan, I know, I know." She cooed at him. He desperately needed to get her clothing off. He needed to be inside her more than he needed air. He clumsily fumbled with the fastenings of her school fuku and cursed the person that designed such complicated closures. She giggled slightly at his difficulties and quickly finished stripping herself.  
  
"Is Mamo-chan ready to play some more?" She asked with an innocent tone, and clashed badly with her knowing expression. The duality excited him to no end, and helped him to regain his erection long before he had any reasonable expectation to. "My, my, you're very ready aren't you?" With that she straddled his hips once again, and took him fully into her body.  
  
He should have lasted far longer after already having orgasmed once, but it took her less than ten minutes to have his eyes rolling back into his head and his toes clenching. She followed him over and laid her face against his chest.  
  
"Usako, that was beautiful." He felt her nod her agreement and smile against him.  
  
"Hai Mamo-chan it was beautiful." She replied.  
  
She grew restless when he began to gently stroke her hair. She stood off him and began to dress herself once again. Her actions were mitigated by her look of joy, and the slight shaking of her hands.  
  
"Mamoru? We need to talk." She said softly.  
  
"About what Usako?" He said feeling slightly nervous.  
  
"I don't think we can guard the Gold Stone. I mean you know that Iria is looking for the Avatar Gems, and she would do anything to get them. I just don't want you to get hurt over them."  
  
"I.I don't understand Usako."  
  
"I think we should give it back to Mordaki. He would be able to keep it safe until Zeryn and Iria are gone."  
  
"I don't know Usako, I mean it's the only thing I have to show who I am."  
  
"But Mamo-chan you're so much more powerful now, you don't need it anymore, besides if you keep it you'll get hurt. Please Mamo-chan, for me, let me give it back to Mordaki."  
  
Mamoru looked deep into Usagi's large soft blue eyes and was lost. He knew that Usagi was only concerned for his safety, and really she was right. Mori would make a much better keeper for now. If he really needed it he knew Mori would likely return it to him.  
  
"Okay Usako, I'll do it."  
  
"Here Mamo-chan I'll give it to him on my way back home. I can get in easier. Their apartment is warded against mortals. I can just teleport up and give it to him."  
  
"Okay Usako. Whatever you think is best." At that he removed the Golden Crystal from subspace and handed it to her.  
  
"Thank you Mamo-chan!" she said instantly much happier. He smiled at the obvious joy not making her face glow. "I'll see you later Mamo-chan, bye." She gave him a kiss goodbye and teleported away.  
  
********  
  
Rei sat in front of the sacred fire. She should have long since been asleep, but the events of the day wouldn't allow her to rest. Every time she closed her eyes she remembered the feelings the spell transformation caused her. She strongly considered doing something about her needs herself, but her pride wouldn't let her give in to her desires that easily. What she needed was to find someone that could love her. Mordred had said that she would see the face of her soulmate today or yesterday now as it was long past midnight, but she couldn't recall seeing anyone that might have fit the bill.  
  
She shivered despite the heat of the fire room and again concentrated on seeing the future. If she could just get a glimpse of her soulmate she would be content. It would prove to her that he was out there somewhere waiting for her. She pushed more and more energy into the flames before her, and unbeknownst to Rei, the elemental resonation that Mori had strengthened so greatly flooded the sacred fire with magical power.  
  
An image of a clarity never before seen formed in the flames. Rei gasped at its perfection, not even noticing at first just what it showed. When she finally noticed she cried out in frank disbelief. There in the fire was an image of her looking just a little older, probably only in her early twenties. She was holding the hand of a small black haired girl with very familiar features. The man beside her held an infant in his arms that she was somehow positive was a little boy despite the total lack of evidence. As shocking as that might have been to her it was the identity of the man that had her crying out. There at her side looking down at her with obvious love in his eyes was the one person she would never think of in a romantic way, Jedite.  
  
She knew that fire readings could be misleading, but this was too clear. Somehow, someway Jedite was coming back, and she would become his lover. It was more than enough to make her cry. 


	11. Retaliation

Chapter 11: Retaliation  
  
She struggled futilely at the glowing bands that bound her. The darkness had long ago lost its ability to frighten her. After spending nine terrifying hours stuffed under her own bed bound hand and foot, and even gagged, little concerns like lack of light became only mildly annoying.  
  
She had briefly entertained hope of salvation when her quasi-daughter had interrupted her attacker's plans, they were however short lived. Chibi- Usa and her advisor had been dealt with so quickly they hadn't even been able to scream for help. The pink haired girl and the Mau were bundled up together and stuffed unceremoniously into the closet.  
  
She was glad that Luna wasn't there when the attack occurred. She knew it was getting close to daybreak, and her mother would come in to wake her for school if she wasn't seen soon. Usagi prayed that Luna would return before that happened. She didn't want her mother to find her like this. There would be no telling how she would react, other than badly.  
  
"Usagi?" a voice called from the general area of the window. Relief swelled within her at the sound of Luna's voice. She couldn't answer her of course, the gag was very effective and even after hours of trying to chew her way through it she had accomplished nothing.  
  
"Usagi? Luna repeated slightly frantic. More than likely Luna had noticed the obvious signs of a struggle, and was worried about her. With great effort she managed to squirm her foot out from underneath the dust ruffle. Luna voiced a squeak of surprise at seeing the protruding appendage.  
  
"Usagi what in the world are you doing?" She hissed irritatedly. When her charge failed to answer with more than a feeble wiggling of the protruding foot Luna moved to investigate further.  
  
"Kami-sama!" The Mau exclaimed when she finally managed to squirm her way into the tight quarters beneath the bed. Usagi was nearly completely immobilized with slightly glowing red bands of energy. Her nightclothes were covered in sweat and dust, and there was little doubt that she had been there for hours. Her eyes were puffy and reddened, she looked like the definition of abject misery. The Mau crawled out from underneath the bed and used her newly augmented powers to quickly assume her human form. It took quite a bit of struggling, but she managed to pull her princess out from underneath the bed. The bands of magical energy dissipated almost instantly after she touched them. Once released from her bonds Usagi quickly removed the gag from her mouth and ran towards the closet. She yanked open the door to reveal their children, bound as she was and unconscious.  
  
"Usagi-chan," Luna began gently once the others were unbound, "what happened?"  
  
********  
  
Usagi had serious reservations about Luna's plan to deal with the situation. Luna recommended to her that she go to school as always, and make contact with the Senshi there. It would be nearly as quick as calling them on the communicator, and didn't risk exposure by them all missing class.  
  
Usagi pointed out to her that it was pointless to worry about risking exposure after what had happened, but there was no changing Luna's mind. Usagi quickly got dressed, making very sure that she kept a close watch on Chibi-Usa, who would be joining Hotaru's class now that Setsuna had had sufficient time to fabricate the necessary paperwork, and she, Chibi-Usa and two cats dashed towards the school.  
  
They were nearly late, as Chibi-Usa was in nowhere near as good a shape as Usagi was. She hadn't spent the last several years making the mad dash to school as her mother had. They arrived scant minutes before the final bell, and just managed to get the attention of Setsuna before classes began.  
  
"Setsuna!" Usagi shouted to her as she dashed into the room. "You have to call everyone down here! It's an emergency!"  
  
Setsuna took one look at the still rumpled appearance of the girls, and noted the pale, dry tracks that their tears had left on their faces. She noted the rumpled state of their clothing, which though hardly unusual for Usagi, was certainly odd to see on Chibi-Usa. Mostly though she saw that both of the girl's advisors were with them, in school, it took her less than a second to hit her intercom button and begin to inform the secretary of the list of students she needed to see.  
  
Fifteen minutes later all of the Senshi and were gathered in the room. Setsuna hadn't bothered to ask for the Primarchs. After what had happened yesterday it would have been ludicrous for them to return to the school, for that reason she was extremely startled to see the three boys walk into the room. They nodded casually to her and quickly seated themselves with their significant others, as usual. She was just beginning to regain her composure when Lor appeared seated on her desk. He winked at her roguishly before schooling his expression into its customary blank look. Before she had even moved to sit down Usagi began to speak.  
  
"Minna we have a serious problem. I was attacked last night. Iria knows who we are." There was no response to her words. She had expected there to be an outburst, pure chaos, everyone talking at once, fear. Instead she faced expressions ranging from resignation to stunned disbelief. Nodding at the girls to assure them that she was serious she began her tale.  
  
********  
  
"Mamo-chan why don't you want me to come back to your apartment?" She whined softly. Mamoru looked down at the upturned face of lovely young woman he held in his arms and tried his best to make her understand.  
  
"Usagi-chan, it's nearly ten, you and I both have class in the morning, and it's been a very long day. I love you, but I need to get to sleep."  
  
"But Mamo-chan."  
  
"No Usagi. I'm sorry, but I just can't, not tonight. Now come on, I'll walk you home."  
  
Mamoru and Usagi began the short walk back towards her house. It only took them around fifteen minutes, but to their tired bodies it seemed much longer. He walked her to her door, and gave her a chaste kiss goodbye. He waited until she had closed the door behind her before he began to walk away. She dashed up the stairs, despite her tiredness, and watched him walk away until he disappeared behind the buildings.  
  
"Hey Odango!" Chibi-Usa called out to her from the hallway. "Open up!"  
  
Usagi growled low in her throat at being called Odango by anyone but her Mamo-chan. She stalked over to the door, jerked it open and sent her best glare at the pink haired teen.  
  
"What?" she growled. Chibi-Usa actually flinched at the menace in her voice.  
  
"I was just coming to ask you how it went." Chibi-Usa said in a lost sounding voice. The tone did much to assuage Usagi's ire at being called Odango.  
  
"It was bad," she replied gently. "It was really bad. The things were everywhere. We all had to split up and try to stop them. Mamo-chan got hurt by some kind of shadow things. I don't know very much about the other girls, all they said when they called in was that they got them."  
  
"Shadow things?" Chibi-Usa repeated worriedly. Her look of fear for Mamoru had Usagi quickly explaining everything she knew. It took several minutes but when she was done Chibi-Usa was much relieved. "At least everyone's ok," she said finally.  
  
Usagi gathered her pyjamas and headed in to the shower. She was putting her hair back into its traditional style when her mother's scream drew her attention. She ran towards the sounds of horror and found her entire family gathered around the television in the front room. Shingo stood with mouth agape. Her father had paled dramatically and looked to have trouble standing. Her mother on the other hand had apparently half fallen onto the couch. Tears ran freely down her face at the devastation prominently displayed on the television.  
  
". once quite neighbourhood was rocked tonight with what were apparently explosions. As you can easily see there is almost nothing left of this once affluent community." A map appeared in the upper right corner of the screen, carefully placed as to not interfere with either the view of the scene or the reporter. It showed the Juuban Ward with the effected area coloured red. The area was a rough almost rectangular section encompassing close to a square kilometre. "Once this neighbourhood housed close to fifteen thousand of Japans most affluent citizens, now it holds only the dead. Reports coming in from emergency crews all over the sight all tell the same thing. There have so far been no survivors found, and the death toll continues to climb. Currently rescue workers have found over four hundred bodies, with more being reported constantly. The cause of this calamity is still unknown, but several unconfirmed reports from residents outside the devastation claim to have seen a large reptile doing battle with people they describe as the oft rumoured Sailor Senshi. Officially the Government continues to deny the existence of the vigilante group, but this reporter admits to being stumped as to find any other rational explanation for tonight's catastrophe."  
  
Usagi was horrified. That was where the Outers had been. They had called in to tell her that they were all right, and had mentioned that there was something they had to speak to her about, but she was interrupted by Makoto's and Rei's report. Usagi had completely forgotten to get back in touch with them. Her communicator was still up in her room.  
  
She scampered up the stairs, frantic with need to talk to the older girls. She burst through her door and slammed it shut behind her. It was when she was digging through her purse for the communicator that she noticed she wasn't alone. Usagi spun around to tell off the brat that followed her up and nearly fainted in shock. Iria was standing in her room bouncing with excitement.  
  
"Hello Sailor Moon." The red haired Ulterran said in greeting. Usagi knew immediately that denials would be pointless. Iria didn't simply suspect who she was, she knew it. Usagi attempted to summon her Henshin Rod but it was too late.  
  
"There will be none of that." Iria chided, and pointed her hand at Usagi. She whispered something too low for Usagi to hear and a purple beam of light batted the Rod out of the blonde's hand. Usagi knew better than to chase after the fallen Rod. Iria was far to fast for her.  
  
"Why are you here?" Usagi said as calmly as she could.  
  
"You know why, little girl. You have something I need and I'm here to collect it." Iria replied pleasantly.  
  
"You can't have it." Usagi responded firmly. There was no way she was going to admit to this woman that she no longer had the Crystal. There was no telling how she would react. "I have kept it safe from your kind before." Iria laughed at Usagi's forced bravery. The sound would have been beautiful under other circumstances.  
  
"Little mortal, there are none of my kind left. In the last five thousand years I have only met four other Ulterran, and of them only Zeryn still lives."  
  
"Five." Usagi said coolly. At Iria's apparent confusion she clarified. "You have met five other Ulterran. I am one."  
  
Iria laughed again, but cut off suddenly as something grabbed her attention. She peered intently at the blonde girl. The look she gave her carried something odd just on the edge of Usagi's perception. Usagi shivered slightly from the weight of the stare. A cold chill ran up her spine.  
  
"/Meethay sothrin dundae Lunari?/" Iria asked in wonder.  
  
"I don't understand." Usagi replied softly.  
  
"Oh you poor child," Iria said with tears in her eyes. "You have no idea about your heritage. Oh the horror, you've spent your entire life surrounded by Mortals." Usagi did her best to keep her anger out of her expression. "I am so sorry for you." Iria continued. "It's ok now. You're not alone any more."  
  
"I wasn't alone before." Usagi replied. Only the slightest amount of heat leaked into her words. "The 'Mortals' and I have defended this world for years, defended it from people like you."  
  
"You have nothing to fear /serril/ Zeryn will help you. He needs the Crystal though. He wants to bring our people back, but he can't do it alone. He needs us to help him. He needs the Avatar Gems. Once he has them he can save our people. Please give me the gem."  
  
"No," Usagi replied once again. "I can not allow you to threaten or harm the people of the Earth. The demons you have been summoning."  
  
"Nexus creatures," Iria corrected automatically. "Demons are just weak half-breeds."  
  
"Anyway," Usagi continued despite the interruption. "The creatures you have summoned are a threat to the people I am sworn to protect. I can't allow you to continue." She finished bravely.  
  
"Then give me the Crystal. Once Zeryn has all of them we can leave. I promise you we won't stay here. We really want nothing to do with the Mortals."  
  
"I can't give you the Crystal either." Usagi replied.  
  
"You know, we won't stop until Zeryn gets what he wants. The longer you keep the Crystal from him the greater the chance that someone you really care about will get hurt or killed. You would probably be really upset if the Mortals that think they're your parents got caught in the crossfire, wouldn't you?"  
  
Usagi knew a threat when she heard one. She was, generally speaking, a pacifist. She would much rather try to convince an enemy to leave rather than harm them. She had proven on multiple occasions that kindness would usually prevail over violence, but in this case she was happy to make an exception. Iria threatened her family. Nobody threatened her family. Her response wasn't even a truly conscious decision. Before Iria had even finished her words, Usagi was reacting. She didn't know exactly where the knowledge to do what she did had come from, but the results were satisfying.  
  
Usagi raised her right arm, the arm that now held the crystal bracelet that the Primarchs had made for her. It made a high pitched ringing sound and something leapt from it. The effect was a ring of distorted air, a vibration travelling forward towards Iria at eleven times the speed of sound. It crossed the two metres separating the two girls in just over five picoseconds. A human eye takes around sixty pictures per second and transmits those to the brain. The process is very quick, and highly efficient. Iria was an Ulterran, a powerful one. She was nearly thirty times faster than a human. The distortion ring struck her before even she could have seen it.  
  
It tore through the feeble basic defences that her ribbon-like dress offered as if it were nothing. The distortion struck her full in the chest, snapping her sternum and shoving two of her ribs into her lungs. The leftover kinetic energy tossed her into the wall hard enough to nearly push her through it. Iria collapsed to her knees and vainly tried to suck air into her punctured lungs.  
  
Usagi nearly gave into the temptation to make some sort of triumphant speech before continuing to attack the Sorceress, but the memory of how foolish Chibi-Usa had sounded held her back. That omission probably saved her life. More quickly than Usagi would have believed possible a few short months ago, Iria stood despite the obvious pain caused by her wounds and returned fire. If Chibi-Usa's actions hadn't embarrassed her, Iria's spell would have caught her totally unprepared.  
  
"Quishii Hallou!" Iria hissed, and a grey-black bolt of energy streaked towards the blonde.  
  
Usagi hardly had any chance to react at all despite her caution. She had moved only a dozen centimetres or so when the bolt struck. Instead of hitting her in the chest as Iria had intended it struck her in the shoulder. The force of the impact picked her up and spun her in the air like a top. She flew backwards and landed in a heap on her bed. As she groaned and attempted to shake the newly formed cobwebs out of her head before Iria got the chance to do anything else, she heard the sound of her door opening.  
  
"What are you doing Odango?" She heard Chibi-Usa ask from the doorway. Obviously the sounds of the battle had carried to the spare bedroom. "Oh Kami!" The pink haired girl exclaimed once she had taken in the entire scene. Instantly she summoned her Henshin Rod and began her transformation.  
  
"Moon Eternal Make Uhhh." She never stood a chance. Of course Iria was far from stupid enough to allow Chibi-Usa to complete her transformation. She was interrupted by a highly unlikely attack by the petite redhead. Iria balled up her fist and punched the younger girl in the stomach with more than enough force to make Chibi-Usa retch. Once the transformation was derailed, Iria took more effective steps in neutralizing her.  
  
"Gierss keendrn Kalrah!" Iria spoke quickly. A brief flash of blue light later Chibi-Usa and her advisor, who thought she had remained undetected in the confusion, were safely asleep. With the interruption safely handled she once again turned her attention to the girl trying to regain her feet despite the immense pain she was in. She pointed at the blonde and whispered yet another incantation.  
  
"Yamell Dunith." With those words an unbelievable weight pushed down on Usagi pinning her to the bed despite her greatest efforts.  
  
"Don't go anywhere /st'nor/. I'll deal with you in a moment." Usagi could do nothing but watch as Iria bound Chibi-Usa and Diana together with bands of magical energy that she quickly summoned. Once they were completely immobilized she opened up the closet door and roughly stuffed them inside. "Now back to you." Iria said with a cruel smile.  
  
"You know, I really hate it when people attack me. I hadn't done anything to you, but you saw fit to try to kill me. That makes me very upset. Because of your little show of defiance, I'm not going to be quite so nice anymore. Give me the Crystal."  
  
"No." Usagi managed to gasp out despite the crushing weight on her chest.  
  
"Did you tell me no?" Iria asked in disbelief. "Well we can't have that can we? /Aglon Tinnor./" Iria said in a snappish tone of voice. Usagi nearly bit her tongue in half at the sudden surge of pain that engulfed her. They waves of agony continued for what felt like hours before Iria ended the spell. "Are we feeling more cooperative?"  
  
"No." Usagi again managed despite her pain and tears. She hardly had time to brace herself before the agony returned. It lasted for another eternity before it once again abated. She choked back her sobs and glared at the redhead with all her will.  
  
"Do you feel more inclined to answer me yet?"  
  
"Never." Usagi said through her tears. Once again Iria applied the torturous magic. The pain was so intense that Usagi honestly felt she was going to die from it. Her bones felt as if they had broken. Her skin felt afire. Every nerve in her body was seemingly stabbed and twisted simultaneously. The tears ran freely down her face and her breath choked in her throat. She was in too much pain to even scream. The spell was strained to keep her conscious. Close to fifteen minutes later Iria once again allowed its power to lapse.  
  
"Done being stubborn?" Iria taunted in an overly sweet tone.  
  
"Go to hell." Usagi managed to gasp out in between the aftershocks of her pain. Iria frowned and yet again reapplied the pain inducing magic.  
  
"I think it's time you learned a bit of a lesson. You're far too weak to hide anything from me. So, since you seem unwilling to simply give me the Crystal, or tell me where you've hidden it, I'll just take what I need." Iria grinned at her in a way that sent shivers down her spine even in the throes of agony. "This might be unpleasant." Iria said in passing, and a white hot needle of psionic force shoved itself into her consciousness.  
  
Some time later a pale and slightly shaking Iria withdrew from the rapidly fading consciousness of her foe. She had learned far more than she had needed to complete her mission. Iria was somewhat surprised and impressed that the little girl had withstood as much punishment as she had, and for no reason. She didn't have the Crystal anymore. Iria's mind skittered away from the knowledge of just who had it now, that was something to deal with later. More important was she had learned the location of not one, but three of the others. She had no idea of where the Chaos Prism was, but Zeryn had mentioned that he already knew its location.  
  
The Silver Crystal was currently out of her reach, as was the Garnet Orb. The Nemesis Crystal was floating in deep space, guarded only by some fool calling himself Wiseman. Since the little chit's memory clearly showed him manipulating its energies, it was clear that he was yet another lost Ulterran. Too bad for him he was male, Zeryn didn't tolerate competition. She could go collect the Nemesis crystal at almost any time, so there was no rush there. The Gold Stone was another matter entirely. She needed to act now, before the Mortals became too frightened and gave it back to Mordaki.  
  
She came to a quick decision about how to proceed. Her idea was as much motivated by revenge against the little Lunari as it was by expediency. The blonde deserved to suffer, and she knew just how to do it.  
  
"Listen carefully /st'nor/. You hurt me, and for that I will have my revenge. If it weren't for Zeryn's restrictions against killing female Ulterran, you wouldn't be alive when I leave. Instead I am going to hurt you in a way the will make you suffer forever." Iria's red aura became visible once again as she began to chant softly in Aleph. The feeling Usagi had of being pressed into the mattress faded, but escape was still an impossibility. The pain didn't abate, and her arms twisted themselves behind her back. She could feel some sort of binding appear around her wrists. She levitated up off the bed, and despite her struggles, found herself lowered to the floor.  
  
"When the full implications of what I am about to do to you finally settle into your simple little mind, remember this. It didn't have to be this way. Your stubbornness, your rudeness, your decision to attack me made this happen. I hope you choke to death on the misery you have caused yourself." With that Iria made a pushing motion with her hands and Usagi was stuffed painfully into the small cluttered space under her bed. The pain causing magic ended some time later.  
  
********  
  
".and finally Luna came home and found me." Usagi finished with fresh tears in her eyes.  
  
There was very little need for the Senshi to speak their feelings. All of them wore identical expressions of murderous rage. Iria had crossed lines not even Galaxia had dared to. The idea that she had tortured their Princess was more than enough to assure her death.  
  
Most of the Primarchs took a more pragmatic view of the situation. Yes, Usagi had suffered, but she was still alive and relatively unharmed. More importantly, Iria had failed in her mission. The Silver Crystal was safely in Neko's possession. There was no way Mori could imagine Iria getting it from him.  
  
Neko on the other hand was livid. He was nearly apoplectic with rage. Ami was busy trying to calm him as best as possible, but his aura had already begun to make the wooden arms of the chair he sat on smoulder, and the paint on the wall behind him was peeling away.  
  
"Usagi-chan," he asked with the utmost compassion in his voice. "I know you've been through something terrible, but it might not be over. You said she threatened to make you suffer. I think we had better take it seriously." He looked her directly in her tear filled eyes. The golden- brown eyes of his Konjou appearance carried an equal mix of rage and gentleness. "I need to make sure she didn't do anything else to you."  
  
He stood up and walked slowly and carefully over to the shaken blonde. He stopped within reach of her, and ignored the slight flinch she made when he reached out to touch her. Soft silver light filled the room centred on them. It lasted for close to ten minutes, only Mori and Mordred understood just what that signified. Neko had used all of the power at his disposal as the Master of Will Magic. If there were any unpleasant magical effects placed on Usagi he would have found them. The light faded and Neko stepped away with a sigh of relief.  
  
"It's ok Usagi-chan, she didn't do anything else to you. I know how bad what she did to you hurt, but there are far worse things she could have done."  
  
The girls exchanged worried looks over that information before hesitantly nodding in agreement. No one felt quite like returning to class yet, so Setsuna recommended that they discuss last night's conflicts. Quickly Ami began explaining about her battle with the Yugoloth. It served the dual purposes of breaking the ice so to speak, and to get everyone's mind off of Usagi's torture.  
  
Once Ami was done, Usagi told the story of her and Mamoru's battle. The tears in her eyes once again fell when she talked of the horror of learning the civilians laying on the ground were dead. She had tried to bring them back, but despite the fact that her bracelet had shone like the sun, the dead did not stir.  
  
"Laira," Mori said with disgust. The other Primarchs nodded in agreement. When the Senshi looked at him quizzically, he clarified. "Laira are better known as Shadowthieves. They're fairly nasty little things, really. As Usagi realized, they attack and kill people's shadows. It's long been believed that your shadow is the reflection of your soul. I won't comment on that, but what the Laira do seems to work. They can also control almost anyone by possessing their shadows. You were lucky to spot those three so easily Usagi."  
  
Mori sat back down and Haruka took the floor. In the quietest, most shaken voice anyone had ever heard from her, she described the battle with the large Draconid. Neko looked impressed at the beginning, but an expression of shame and disgust soon claimed him. Mordred also looked somewhat abashed by the time Haruka finished her portion. The girls, most especially Setsuna, were highly curious about just what Hotaru had done, but curiosity took a distant second place to horror.  
  
"We have to do something to fix that." Usagi said woodenly. Her expression told just how badly she was affected. She had simply seen too much too fast to be able to take it all in. "Minna," she said looking at the Primarchs scattered around the room, "We have to fix it."  
  
"We can't." Neko said shaking his head softly.  
  
"We have to." Usagi repeated emphatically. "It's all our faults. You and Mori made us this strong, and we're the ones who did it."  
  
"Usagi-chan, you don't understand. It's not a matter of whether or not we want to. It's not like we're afraid of breaking some kind of rule. We just can not bring those people back." Lor and Mori nodded in complete agreement with Neko, and Mordred looked somewhat sad and ashamed.  
  
"But, you brought other people back!" Usagi protested shooting a quick glance at Rei and Makoto that neither girl missed.  
  
"It's not the same thing Usagi-chan. There are other things involved this time."  
  
"But."  
  
"Trust him Usagi." Mordred spoke up for the first time. "All of us together couldn't bring back anyone that died last night, in any of the battles."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because it's impossible, I'm sorry." Mordred genuinely looked sorry, but the Senshi just looked worried. Every one of them wanted to know one thing. Just what could prevent the Primarchs from bringing the people back? "I know you do not want to hear this, but the three of you did much better than you had any reasonable expectation to. You faced an Akulin, one of the greatest creatures of the Nexus. I have personally seen one tear through magical defences that would give Mori trouble. They are nearly immune to most types of magic, and they regenerate faster than any other Nexus creature. Only Entropy magic can truly kill them. Congratulations Hotaru, your decision s...saved uncountable lives." At the end of his speech he seemed somewhat overcome by emotion.  
  
There was silence for a few moments before Mina began her tale. She knew how the other girls saw her. She, like Usagi, was regarded as somewhat comical. She knew she would have to use that to help lift the pall that had settled over the Senshi. Mina quickly talked of her and Mori's arrival on the scene. She described the large worm like thing in intricate, graphic detail, playing up its unintentional comical aspects. She got to the point in her story when the ground under their feet caved in, and broke off blushing.  
  
"Well?" Rei asked curious. Like the majority of the Senshi she had been coaxed out of her depression by Mina's antics. Mori smiled gently and raised Mina's chin with a finger. He kissed her on the nose and continued the tale where she left off.  
  
********  
  
"Oh shit." Mori said as the ground beneath his feet caved in. The drop was so quick he didn't have time to counter the affects of gravity before he hit the ground. Of course dropping ten metres into a subway terminal was anything but pleasant. Luckily for the residents of Tokyo, the entrance to this terminal was very close to the scene of the attack, and like usual the area was completely deserted. The two enormous slabs of concrete that Venus had inadvertently severed from the street above them lay in a heap, one partially elevated on the long line of ticket booths, the other flat on the ground.  
  
The bus had landed flat on the level slab, much to the good fortune of its occupants. It was still dissolving from the acid cloud the Wyrm had belched onto it, but for the moment at least they were safe. The two halves of the Wyrm had landed separately, one near the bus, the other closer to the street access stairs. Both portions of it were already beginning to show signs of recovering from its disorientation.  
  
Mori felt a moment of panic when he couldn't readily see Venus. His fears were quickly ended however by the shrieks feminine outrage coming from above him. He looked up and spotted the love of his life in a humorous predicament. When the concrete had broken away, in the area that Venus had not inadvertently severed, it exposed several of the long pieces of rebar that helped strengthen the street. Venus's fall had been arrested when her skirt caught on one of them. She dangled helplessly eight metres above him by the back of her skirt, consequently giving him, the Wyrm, and the people trapped in the bus the ultimate panty shot. Mori's lips twisted into a smirk despite all his efforts to the contrary. Venus was not amused.  
  
"Arhh. get me down from here!" She demanded in a growling tone. That was the final straw, Mori dissolved into helpless laughter. "Mori, this is so not funny!" Venus' legs kicked futilely and her attempts to free herself by either unhooking or tearing her skirt from the errant piece of iron were equally unsuccessful.  
  
Mori levitated up to just underneath his trapped lover still grinning at her predicament. The force of her glare was staggering, but had no affect whatsoever on his mirth. Mori casually traced the fingers of his right hand up the inside of her leg, drawing a hiss of surprise, irritation, and desire from her. He ignored the lethally powerful kicks she dealt out in her continued attempts to free herself and placed a kiss on the back of her knee. She paused in her struggles for the briefest of instants before jerking her leg away from him as best she could. She succeeded in escaping the shockingly intimate kiss, but both of his hands lightly caressed her thigh in a manner completely unacceptable for public viewing.  
  
"Mori, this is not the time." She said tightly, trying to convey complete seriousness.  
  
"I have to disagree," Mori said lightly. "It's always the time, especially when these lovely legs of yours are so deliciously and provocatively displayed." He ignored her glare and once again trailed his lips over her legs. She almost melted at the sensation, and likely would have completely forgotten just exactly where she was, and how much on display their activities were, when the forward half of the bisected worm reared up to strike at them.  
  
The attack was lightning fast. The Wyrm struck forward with titanic might, and ran into a force field a few centimetres from them. It reeled back, staggered from the impact. The failed attack did, on the other hand, manage to bring Venus back to her senses. She threw her weight to the side, spinning in her trapped position to face the Wyrm. Ignoring the catcalls a few of the men trapped in the bus made at the view she now presented them, Venus struck out at the cause of her predicament.  
  
"/Telekinetic Forcebolt!/" She screamed, and a metre wide ray of pure force leapt from her outstretched palm. The beam carried more raw kinetic energy than a falling meteor, and given that it was magically created it was quite capable of injuring the Wyrm. The back half of it that she had targeted ruptured under the force spraying the area with a putrid yellow substance that immediately began to evaporate.  
  
The front half of the Wyrm reacted instantly to the death of its counterpart. It shot off down the tunnel as fast as it could, which was an impressive speed considering that it was a giant worm that had been recently bisected. Before Venus could reorient herself for a shot at it, it was completely out of sight. Venus growled her frustration and resumed her efforts to get free. Mori's continuing mirth did nothing to decrease her agitation.  
  
"Do you mind?" She snarled. "You could be doing something useful, like killing that. whatever it was, or even better getting me down from here!"  
  
"But Venus-chan, you look so cute like that." Venus threw a kick at Mori and snarled in penultimate frustration when he floated out of the way. She twirled in a half circle before spinning back to face him.  
  
"Are you going to do anything useful, or just float there and ogle me?"  
  
"Float here and ogle?" He asked hopefully.  
  
Venus had had enough. She was caught by her skirt and the worm thing was getting away. Plotting vile vengeance on Mori for both his mirth and lack of assistance, she escaped the only way she could. She reached down and, after much difficulty, managed to unbutton the skirt which was thankfully one of the few parts of her outfit that could be removed. She immediately fell the eight metres to the ground and took off down the tunnel following the bloody trail the creature had left.  
  
Mori quickly reached up and dislodged the orange cloth from where it hung. Once he had it secured in one of the many subspace pockets he had access to he quickly followed his love down the tunnel, pausing only to neutralize the acid the Wyrm had used on the bus. The pleasant sight of her running flat out in only the tight, white bodysuit and high heeled shoes almost had him whimpering aloud. The view was spectacular.  
  
Venus quickly caught up to the creature. It had bashed through the wall of one subway tunnel into an older, and now abandoned line. It had stopped moving and was apparently trying to rest and heal its wounds. It had already regrown a few centimetres of its total length, the new flesh was easily identifiable by its shiny appearance.  
  
"Shh, Venus-chan. It's in a sort of trance. If you're quick and quiet you'll be able to get the Wyrm before it wakes up." Mori whispered directly into her ear. She jerked away from him, her anger at him only increasing with the revelation of just how much he knew about this thing. He chuckled lightly at her action and brushed a kiss across her temple.  
  
"I recommend you use one of your kinetic based Senshi attacks. I'm sure you've realized what the Wyrm is capable of. It's a pretty worthless proto-dragon, but it could do some damage if we let it recover." He rubbed her shoulders as he spoke.  
  
She had planned to finish the thing off with a Rolling Heart Vibration, but she refused to take his advice right then, instead she sniffed pointedly at him and studied the creature more carefully. It was hideous, but to be brutally honest she had seen far worse. Her perusal was careful enough that she noticed several things about it that she hadn't earlier. Primarily was the fact that its mouth was hinged in three places, rather than the two places typical of most creatures. More interesting however was its skin. Instead of being fleshy like she would have expected, close examination proved it to be made up of millions of tiny scales, their miniscule size and uniform colouration made them invisible from more than a few feet away.  
  
"What is this thing?" Venus asked Mori softly.  
  
"A Wyrm."  
  
"A worm?"  
  
"No, Wyrm, a proto-dragon. Remember when I told you that all sentient life was descended from the various forms of Ulterran?" He waited until Venus nodded before continuing. "That wasn't exactly true. There are a handful of exceptions to that, and Dragons are the most obvious. This thing is the ancestral form of a True Dragon."  
  
"Is it a Nexus creature?"  
  
"No, it's a proto-dragon." He said with just a hint of exasperation.  
  
"What can hurt it?"  
  
"Just about anything really. I mean if you cut it into small enough pieces they wouldn't be able to regenerate. It doesn't have a Dragon's resistance to magic or anything. About the only thing I can think of that wont hurt it are toxic substances. It's pretty much inert to acids, and its chemical reactions are esoteric enough to make poisoning it pretty pointless."  
  
"So you're saying it's easy to kill?"  
  
"The Inner Senshi could have stopped one of them alone with minimal danger before you met me."  
  
Venus didn't ask any more questions as she thought about how to handle the Wyrm. Simple contrariness kept her from taking Mori's advice, but she needed to do something soon. The Wyrm had regrown almost half a metre of its body since she severed it. She found it difficult to keep her mind on the task of dealing with it though. Memories of Mori's inappropriate and embarrassing behaviour kept intruding, derailing her train of thought. Irritation at her distraction, and the man who caused it, began to swell within her.  
  
Mori watched Venus carefully. He didn't know why she hadn't finished the Wyrm off yet. She was more than capable of doing it without the slightest risk to herself. He briefly wondered why Iria had bothered to summon something as weak as a Wyrm, but the thought was cut off when Venus began to glow.  
  
Mori knew beyond the shadow of any doubt that his lover was easily the most beautiful woman that had ever lived, but the sight of her standing tensed for combat, her long golden hair waving slightly in the breeze moving through the tunnel, glowing softly as her aura manifested around her, took his breath away. The fact that she was missing her skirt and he could see every centimetre of her wonderfully toned legs didn't hurt in the least. He stepped towards her almost entranced by the unintended seductiveness she radiated.  
  
Mori felt an odd stirring at the edge of his perception. Venus raised her hand imperiously and pointed at the Wyrm. She didn't speak a word yet tiny motes of brighter light began to whirl around her inside her aura. Mori's senses screamed and the lights around Venus blurred. The Wyrm ruptured as jets of plasma burst from its skin. The stone fusing power of nuclear flame poured furiously from the already dead Wyrm. Within a matter of seconds there was nothing left.  
  
Mori dashed up to Venus ignoring the continuing warning his enhanced perception was giving him. A chill ran up his spine when her gaze fell upon him. Her eyes were vacant of their normal compassion. She stood poised like a warrior goddess, ready to condemn the foolish to eternal damnation. Despite his nervousness he held her gaze for several long moments until slowly, finally the woman he loved returned to herself. She blinked to clear her eyes, looked up at him perplexedly and finally spoke.  
  
"What happened?" She asked in genuine confusion.  
  
"Once again you did something I thought was impossible."  
  
"Really? What?"  
  
"You just used the same power over natural forces that I have. Without using any magic whatsoever, without the knowledge of how to, and despite the fact that all of the other Primarchs together couldn't have done it, you just created a half metre across ball of nuclear fusion inside the Wyrm. You made a very small star, Mina." Neither of them knew just how to react to that.  
  
********  
  
Everyone was appropriately shocked and impressed by Mina's accomplishment. It was obvious to everyone that neither Mina nor Mori had the slightest idea how she had done it, but judging by Mori's expression he was going to find out.  
  
The humour Mina's tale had returned to the gathering lightened the mood, and even Usagi managed a smile. It was in the new brighter atmosphere that Makoto and Rei began their story. Everyone listened carefully at Rei's description of the feeling of evil she followed. The initial description of the plant creature drew odd looks from the Primarchs, but the revelation of its true form made Mori and Neko exchange irritated looks, while Lor's mouth curled in revulsion.  
  
"Kilthor." He said disgustedly.  
  
The girls continued their story until they told of the Kilthor capturing them. Rei became silent and Makoto continued alone. She talked of her fears and desperation that led to her decision to electrocute herself. Her smile at the result was all teeth.  
  
"Well girls, I hate to disappoint you," Neko said with a sarcastic grin, "but the Kilthor wasn't interested in your virtue. Now, I have to agree that it wanted your bodies, but lovely as they are it didn't want them in that way. A Kilthor has very little power on its own. What it does is crawl inside some other creature and uses it like a puppet. It has the ability to modify its host to suit its needs. Of course it prefers to use female hosts in mammalian creatures, you have a prefect place built in for it to put its core, but it can possess just about anything."  
  
His explanation was just graphic enough for even Usagi and Chibi-Usa to understand exactly what he meant. All of the Senshi, especially Setsuna, wore ill expressions. It took almost a full minute of silent shivering before Makoto continued.  
  
Makoto returned to her story, and Setsuna's face darkened when she mentioned the shadow that distracted the Kilthor. She knew of only one person capable of that trick that might possibly have had any reason to aid the girls, and he was supposed to be dead. She was so deep in her thoughts she almost missed Makoto's revelation.  
  
"I was so caught up watching the Shadow Warrior that I missed the tentacle swinging at me. Of course Nephrite saved me, but I'm sure you know all about that right guys?" She said pinning an accusative stare on Mori and Neko. Everyone that didn't already know the truth followed her glare to them.  
  
For Rei the revelation was like a bolt of lightning. All of a sudden everything made sense. The guilty looks on Mori's and Neko's faces, and the slight blushing of Ami, Mina and Usagi, made everything click into place.  
  
"You! You did it. You brought them back." Makoto had already gotten that far, but Usagi's next words gave her the rest of the solution to the puzzle.  
  
"But Rei-chan, they did it for you."  
  
"D..Did it for me?" The Miko sputtered in maniacal rage. Her mouth worked frantically before she regained enough control to begin to get any answers. "And just how is it for me that you brought back two of the most sadistic enemies we've ever fought?"  
  
"Four," Usagi said quietly.  
  
"And just what have I done wrong to. four? Did you say four? You brought them all back? What were you thinking?" She shouted. Makoto had long ago given up trying to say anything. Rei seemed to have all of the complaints under control, besides she was scary when she got this angry. Setsuna alternated between looking pensive and glaring at Mori and Neko. She knew they were the ones at fault. The girls had neither the power, nor foolishness to do something like this. Haruka frowned, but said nothing. It had taken her a few seconds to understand what the inners meant as neither she nor Michiru were around when the Senshi had battled Beryl's Generals. In her opinion they were no threat. If the Inners alone had been able to deal with them when they were weak and inexperienced, then doing so now would be laughable. Michiru watched the three embarrassed Senshi closely. There was more to this than they were letting on, and if her guess was right, Rei would be even more angry as soon as she figured it out.  
  
"Well," Mina said with an obviously false, hesitant smile. She tapped her index fingers together hesitantly and continued so quickly it was difficult to hear her. "We-were-sort-of-thinking-that-you-and-Makoto- were-sort-of-depressed-about-being-the-only-Senshi-that-didn't-have-anyone- that-loved-them-and-we-didn't-want-you-to-be-all-hurt-and-depressed-so-we- sort-of-asked-the-guys-to-help-find-someone-out-there-that-you-could-fall- in-love-with-that-would-love-you-back." Mina gulped in air and continued in the same nearly incomprehensible speed. "Of-course-we-didn't-know-that- they-would-bring-back-the-generals-but-they-sort-of-looked-inside-all-of- our-minds-and-found-out-about-how-you-were-engaged-to-them-back-during-the- moon-kingdom-and-by-the-time-we-knew-what-they-did..."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait, are you saying you were trying to set Makoto and I up on some sort of blind date," the girls nodded, but she didn't even seem to notice, "with some of the biggest psychopaths that ever lived?" Usagi was still nodding not realising the implications of continued agreement. "Just whose bright idea was all of this?" She asked in a deceptively calm voice, despite being purple with rage.  
  
No one was fooled by her false calm. Everyone knew exactly how upset she would be at the person responsible. Without prior consultation and all simultaneously, everyone pointed at the person she was least likely to actually try to kill, or be successful if she tried.  
  
"Gee thanks," Mori said sarcastically to his co-conspirators all of whom, including Mina, were pointing at him. Makoto seemed oddly passive about the entire idea, but of course Rei more than made up for that. By the time Mori looked back at her she had begun quivering to go along with her purple flushed skin. It was only a matter of time before her self control broke down.  
  
Mori had never been considered to be what anyone would call tactful. In point of fact, his blunt way of speaking had more than once provoked people into all manner of foolish decisions, and even on one occasion ruined decades of careful peace negotiations. It wasn't that he was incapable of putting things gently, he just didn't care. Rei got a dose of just how blunt he could be.  
  
"What are you complaining about Rei? I've been inside your head. I know exactly just what kind of hentai thoughts you've had about Jadeite, and if we take the past into account you did a lot more than think. I mean I know exactly who it was that got caught naked in the temple with one of the military leaders of a planet you were practically at war with. Or I could bring up why the palace staff thought one of the corridors in the south wing was haunted. Jadeite was always good with invisibility spells wasn't he, and the poor maids had no idea what else it could have been when moaning came out of empty rooms."  
  
"You did that?" Usagi asked Rei with a gasp, she clearly remembered the incident. Rei made no comment other than the promise of death her eyes held for Mori.  
  
"Usagi," Mori continued heedless of the obvious threat Rei's body language was giving. "You remember her reaction to your mother's request don't you?" Mori's face took on a very Rei-like serious expression, and his voice slipped into a mocking falsetto. "'As you wish your Majesty, but I do not believe your problem lies with ghosts. Those rooms have already been exercised, still if it is your desire I will of course exercise them again.' And boy did you exercise them." The miscommunication was obvious, and intentional.  
  
Rei stopped quivering, her face returned to its normal colour, and all signs of anger and hostility disappeared from the Miko, only Mori missed the obvious threat that implied. The Senshi hastily backed away from the imminent explosion. Even Neko found the excuse of following Ami to get away.  
  
"Mori?" Rei asked oh so gently. She looked him directly in the eyes and spoke straight from her heart. "Die!" she screamed as Mina's missing Moon Sword materialized in her hand. She dived towards him with the obvious intent to carve out vital portions of his anatomy but quickly found herself restrained by her fellow Senshi.  
  
"So that's where that went." Mina said in wonder as she retrieved her missing sword from the snarling Miko.  
  
********  
  
Ten minutes after they had finally managed to calm Rei down to something less than homicidal everyone finally made it to their classes. The impromptu meeting had taken over two hours, and they made quite a stir when they wandered into the class as a group. Usagi of course smiled cheerfully while handing the Sensei her excuse. She spent far too much time holding buckets not to be happy to be exempt this time. Of course the Sensei reacted strongly to the entrance of Konjou and Tenjin clearly remembering the reason that school let out early the day before, but Konjou handled that problem instantly.  
  
Konjou frowned at the sputtering middle aged man and snapped his fingers impatiently. A surprised expression quickly passed over the Sensei's face before he turned his attention back to the class. Much to the shock of the rest of the students he continued his lecture as if there had been no interruption. Several students had their mouths wide open, and even more seemed ready to dash towards the door before he once again reacted.  
  
"What?" He asked defensively, and in a very loud voice. The Sensei again failed to react to the interruption and the stunned students took their seats. Ami shook her head at her boyfriend's antics and slapped him on the back of the head on her way to her seat. He took the hint and quickly found his own desk. Despite the terrified looks from their fellow students, class continued as normal.  
  
Lunch brought about the only other surprises for the day. As had been done since the revelation of the Primarchs identity to the Senshi, Ami and Konjou sat a little ways away from the rest of the group. They were still close enough to be easily included in whatever conversations went on, but were reasonably far enough away to avoid further provoking Makoto. Much to their dismay right after they sat down Makoto came over and joined them. Ami watched her carefully, genuinely confused as to her intent.  
  
"Ami, I think its time we talked, don't you?" Her expression was pleading, and clearly she wanted to speak without Neko's presence. Without even the slightest hesitation she shooed Neko away and waited for Makoto to begin  
  
"Ami, first I want to tell you I'm sorry." She quickly held up her hand to forestall any interruption by the smaller girl. "I knew as soon as I found out what happened that you didn't do it to hurt me, and I'm sorry that I treated you so badly about everything. You always think of everyone else before you think of yourself, I know that. You're a lot like Usagi in that way. But when I saw you with him it hurt, it hurt bad. I loved him, I still love him in a way. He was the first guy besides Shinozaki to look at me like a person." She smiled kindly at Ami before continuing. "He wasn't afraid of me, of course I know why now, and he respected me enough to take my feelings into account. He didn't look at me as just a body, he looked at all of me. It hurt when I realized I lost him, and seeing you happy with him hurt even more. I know how he makes you feel. I wanted that feeling back."  
  
"Makoto."  
  
"No, let me finish. I resented you for having something I didn't. I resented you for winning his love, which I never had, I know that. I hated you for loving him, and that was wrong. I can't blame you for falling in love anymore than I can blame myself. He's the type of guy all of us need, strong, intelligent, compassionate, slightly crazy, and of course there's his body." The last two were said with a wicked grin. "Of course there's all the problems being with him will cause that I most definitely don't envy you for. Like glowing in class, or having a boyfriend a million times more confusing than most boys. Or there's the ruthless temper and trying to explain to your parents that yes in fact your boyfriend is a twelve billion year old alien god. But, I think you still came out ahead. I hope you can forgive me for treating you badly."  
  
"There's nothing to forgive Makoto." Ami said with tears in her eyes. "I'm just sorry that you had to be hurt for me to find love." The girls pulled each other into a tearful, poignant hug that lasted until the tears stopped. When they broke apart Ami looked deep into Makoto's sad eyes and did her best to lift her friend's spirit. "Don't worry Makoto, I know your soulmate is out there. All you have to do is open your heart to him."  
  
"Ugh, don't say things like that. Right now the only guy that wants me is Nephrite, and that's just wrong. Hey, by the way just why did those two bring the Generals back?"  
  
"That's sort of a long story." Ami said evasively.  
  
"Okay, better question. Did you ever find out what Neko's allergen is? I could really use that right about now. He so needs a beating for trying to set me up with Evil Incarnate."  
  
"Umm."  
  
"You do know!" Makoto exclaimed loudly. "You have to tell me! You just have to!"  
  
"Hmm hmm hmm hmm" Ami made vague sounds, absolutely refusing to meet Makoto's eyes.  
  
"Oh come on, how else am I ever going to get revenge Ami-chan?"  
  
"Umm, don't?" Ami asked hopefully.  
  
"Yea like that's gonna happen. Ok fine if you won't help me with Neko maybe you can put that brain of yours to work helping me deal with Nephrite. Have any advice?"  
  
"Make love not war?" Ami said with a smile. At Makoto's sour expression she giggled and tried again. "Can't we all just get along?" She giggled and dashed away from Makoto's startled expression.  
  
"Okay now you have to die." Makoto said jokingly and the two giggling girls ran back towards where their friends were gathered.  
  
A short way away from where the girls were gathered Konjou and Tenjin discussed their concerns.  
  
"/Are you sure you can handle it alone?/" Tenjin asked.  
  
"/Yea, even injured it won't be difficult. The only real problem is the time./"  
  
"/And my assistance wouldn't speed that up?/"  
  
"/No, it can only be layered so fast, and I can still outpace that./"  
  
"/Okay, I don't like it, but I sure as hell couldn't do any better. I say we don't tell them until its ready./"  
  
"/Agreed, they'll be upset as it is. Its probably better to let them have a few more days of peace./"  
  
"/Mina is going to be so pissed at me./"  
  
"/At least I don't have that worry anymore./"  
  
The rest of the school day passed quickly and easily for most of them. Only Usagi had any difficulties, and for once it was entirely someone else's fault. The history Sensei Inishie-san refused to believe that she had done as well as she had on the quiz he gave out without cheating. His loud and scathing accusations quickly reduced the already traumatized girl to tears. He was just in the process of dragging her down to the office when Konjou had finally had enough.  
  
"Do you have any proof that she cheated?" He asked completely ignoring proper protocol. The Sensei gaped at the gall of a student not only speaking to him in that tone, but questioning him as well. "Well do you?"  
  
"Now see here. I will not tolerate you." He never got a chance to finish. He fell to the ground flopping like a fish screaming and crying in agony.  
  
"Unless you have evidence of Usagi-chan cheating, I suggest you apologize to her and get back to your job. Understood human?" He took Inishie-san's convulsive twitching as agreement and ended the spell. Dead silence covered the room as the whimpering Sensei returned to his desk and tore the disciplinary note to shreds.  
  
Of course that didn't quite end the situation. Once again Konjou found himself the centre of attention. All of the students except for Tenjin and the Senshi watched him warily. It continued for several minutes before it finally became too much.  
  
"What?" He asked again. His loud and harsh tone of voice made everyone jerk their heads away from him. Until the final bell no one would even glance in his direction for fear of making him mad.  
  
Konjou and Tenjin didn't bother with pretences once school ended for the day. As soon as the girls gathered their books and were ready to leave, Konjou teleported the entire group to the apartment. From there he sent Rei to the Jinja and Makoto to her own apartment saving everyone quite a bit of time.  
  
Usagi grinned and dashed out the door and down the stairs after giving everyone a hug goodbye. Balancing her books in one arm she knocked on Mamoru's door still grinning. She hardly waited for him to pull it open before dropping everything and throwing herself into his arms. He gave her a warm smile and pulled her deeper into his embrace.  
  
"Hey Usako, how are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm felling much better now than I was earlier. Last night was really rough."  
  
"You mean the battle right?" Mamoru asked looking somewhat stricken.  
  
"No the battle wasn't the terrible part. It was afterwards that was bad."  
  
"But Usako, you said you liked it."  
  
"No Mamo-chan, I don't mean when you walked me home. You know I love you. I mean after you left. When I got inside everything went wrong. From the minute you left until Luna came in this morning was the worst day of my life."  
  
Mamoru honestly looked like he was going to cry. Last night Usagi had given him more pleasure than he had felt in two lifetimes, and now she was describing it like a torture session. He couldn't understand what went wrong. When she teleported away she had seemed very pleased with him. It just didn't make any sense.  
  
"But Usako, what about when you came back over?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"What about when you came back. It was around ten thirty or so." He began patiently. "You said you couldn't stand to be alone and wouldn't take no for an answer, not that I was really complaining. Usako it was the most wonderful experience of my entire life, in fact both of them. Please tell me you don't mean that when you say last night was terrible for you."  
  
Usagi's eyes were filled with tears. She had a very good idea what must have happened, and Mamoru's attempt to compliment her by saying that it was the best experience of both his lives was killing her. Still she needed to make sure.  
  
"What else happened?" She managed to say far more steadily than she would have expected.  
  
"You convinced me to see reason about the Golden Crystal."  
  
"What?" Usagi asked in a sick tone.  
  
"What's going on here Usagi?"  
  
"Please Mamo-chan I need to hear the rest of it. I'll explain in as soon as I understand."  
  
"Fine, you told me that we couldn't keep the Crystal for now. You said we were in danger because Iria would do anything to get it. When I agreed you took the Crystal and teleported up to Mori's apartment. Does that help you remember?"  
  
Usagi gave out a tortured cry and ran out of the room. Mamoru got over his shock in time to follow her up the stairs to the penthouse foyer. She pounded on the door and Mina answered before more than a handful of seconds passed. Mina took one look at her tearful friend and pulled her inside. Mamoru just managed to get his foot in the door before Mina slammed it closed.  
  
"Mina, what's going on? What happened to Usagi?" Mamoru heard Mori ask from behind the door.  
  
"I don't know." She responded. "She went down to Mamoru's and came back crying."  
  
"You realize that if he hurt her Neko is going to kill him, slowly."  
  
"He's at the door. He followed her up here."  
  
"Good, then I can find out exactly what happened."  
  
Mamoru debated running before Mori opened the door the rest of the way. Then he remembered that Mori could find him no matter where he went, and running would make it appear that he knowingly did something wrong. He steeled his nerves and awaited yet another interrogation. Inside he mused happily that nothing the Primarchs did could hurt as bad as what he went through yesterday.  
  
He couldn't have been more wrong.  
  
It took Mina and Ami close to half an hour to calm Usagi down enough to talk. In that time Mori had been able to get in contact with all of the other Senshi and get them to the apartment. Mamoru hadn't figured out yet just what was wrong, but he had a very bad feeling.  
  
Neko stalked out of the room that Ami had tugged Usagi into and impaled him with a glare. Mamoru once again debated the merits of fleeing, only his need to understand what happened to make Usagi so upset kept him there in the sea of hostility. Neko obviously knew what was wrong, and just as obviously he didn't feel like sharing that information. Mamoru had had enough.  
  
"Why don't you do something useful and instead of glaring at me like an idiot, tell me what the hell is going on." Mamoru seethed.  
  
"You want me to do something useful? Okay, I'll do something useful." Neko flared silver for a brief instant and everything changed.  
  
The most obvious difference was the enormous field of vision, of course his depth perception sucked now, but he could see everything within about a two hundred ninety degree arc. This of course led to the next difference. He could see his sides, his white fluffy sides. He turned his head to get a better look and screamed at what he saw in the mirror behind him. White fluffy puff ball of a tail, check; Large pink wide set eyes, check; Small quadruped body, check; Huge floppy ears, check. Everyone that hadn't already noticed the happenings turned towards the sound. Ami, Mina and Usagi came running into the room looking for the source of the sound. Even Mori appeared from wherever he had gone to once the girls showed up. The bloodcurdling 'squees' of a terrified rabbit echoed in the room.  
  
"I still say it was appropriate." Neko said sulkily a few minutes later. Mamoru alternated glaring at him with shivering in terror. Mori and surprisingly most of the Senshi had laughed at the transmogrified prince. Luckily for him Usagi hadn't thought it was funny at all. She had quickly demanded that he be returned to his real form. Neko refused, but after one last chuckle Mori changed him back.  
  
"Does anyone feel like explaining just what in the hell is going on? Why is Usagi so upset?" Mamoru demanded once he was restored to his humanity.  
  
"I think you should probably wait on that a moment, Mamoru." Mori said mildly. "See, there's a lot more happening here than you understand."  
  
"So tell me so I can."  
  
"I think I'll let Usagi explain it to you, but first why don't you tell us exactly what happened after the battle last night." Mori said with a small grin.  
  
"No." Mamoru said. Last night was the most wonderful experience of his life. There was no way he would cheapen it like that.  
  
"Well," Neko said, "you can either tell us your side, or I'll just tap into your head and show everyone your memory, your choice."  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"Your right, Mamoru," Ami interrupted before Neko could prove him wrong, "he wouldn't, because I'll do it first."  
  
Everything receded from Mamoru's vision save for Ami's eyes. They became the centre of his entire world. Her voice echoed in his head as the white hot lance of pain filled his skull.  
  
"~You hurt her again, Mamoru. We warned you last time what would happen. You might possibly be innocent of any wrong doing, but you're going to have to prove it. The choice is yours, tell us or I'll show them myself~"  
  
Mamoru was bewildered. He'd had no idea that Ami could do anything like that. The realization was sobering. No matter how much more powerful he was now, she was far beyond him. He swallowed his pride and did as he had been told. The reactions varied among the Senshi. There was still some anger, but almost without exception the anger seemed focused on someone other than him. The exception was Haruka, who would never be satisfied with any explanation that someone gave for making Usagi cry.  
  
The reactions of the Primarchs though were considerably different. Mori appeared resigned. There was no doubt in Mamoru's mind that something had gone wrong. Mori obviously didn't have the Golden Crystal and that worried Mamoru. Mordred looked somewhat like Setsuna used to. The difference was that Mordred looked sorry about his foreknowledge. It made not hating him for keeping secrets much easier. Neko on the other hand was looking at Mamoru like he was some kind of repulsive thing that had crawled into his apartment. The irritated long suffering expression he wore made Mamoru want to try to wipe it off his face, fortunately he was smarter than to try that.  
  
"Well, I told my side now what happened to upset Usako?" He demanded of the gathering.  
  
Everyone started talking at once which of course made everyone unintelligible, soon though through simple respect everyone save for Usagi quieted. She told her story haltingly but in a clear voice. She pressed on through her tears and despite her pain she shrugged off any attempt to comfort her. Finally she told of her rescue and let the results speak for themselves.  
  
Mamoru felt truly small. His honest attempt to compliment his love for last night was the greatest mistake he had ever made. His uninformed error had torn deep wounds into his love's heart and soul. One look at her face was enough to convince him that approaching her right then would only hurt her more, so instead he tried to understand how Iria had done it.  
  
"How?" He asked without elaboration.  
  
"Iria is of Clan Soren. One of their family abilities is the power to shapeshift much like I can." Mori answered. "It was a very common power among the Ulterran, some were limited to altering their appearances, and some could only assume a handful of forms, but the people of Clan Soren could nearly match Neko and I." Mori said sadly.  
  
"And the rest? How did she know Usagi's basic mannerisms? How did she know our names, what we call each other?"  
  
"She learned it from Usagi. Once she was bound probing her mind would have taken her less than a minute, especially if she only bothered gathering surface thoughts. A light probe like that could have been done without Usagi even feeling it, and believe me you're always in the front of Usagi's mind."  
  
That statement mollified Mamoru somewhat and gave him the reassurance he needed to continue to try to understand. Usagi on the other hand could still not even look at Mamoru. The pain he had inadvertently caused her was too fresh, too raw for her.  
  
Mina empathized with her princess. Learning of Mori's lingering attraction to Rei had made her feel that her heart was literally being ripped out. She imagined that Usagi felt much the same. Luckily for Mina she now had the ability to solve her own problem. Usagi didn't have that luxury. She had no way to simply become, even temporarily, what she needed.  
  
"I have to go." Usagi said suddenly, and before anyone could say another word she was out the door. Mamoru moved to follow her but found himself floating for his troubles. He turned a glare on Neko and began to give him a piece of his mind.  
  
"Excuse me." He said harshly. "Do you mind? I need to."  
  
"You're hissing at the wrong cat, human. Unless you want to spend some more quality time as a bunny I suggest you take it up with the right person." Neko returned hotly.  
  
"Well if it isn't you then."  
  
"That would be me." Mordred said politely. "It would be counterproductive for you to go after her right now. She's hurt, badly and unlike normal for her what she needs is time to come to grips with her pain. She knows there was no way for you to see through Iria's trick, though I personally believe you should have noticed the errors she made. Iria used you to punish Usagi for her wilfulness and as she believed there was nothing else that could have done this kind of damage, especially coming on the heels of Setsuna's situation. Trust me Mamoru, she will recover. When she is ready she will come to you. All you can do is wait, and love her."  
  
Mamoru's anger deflated and he seemed to sag in mid air. Convinced that Mamoru understood, Mordred allowed the young man to sink to the ground. Once there he nodded to Mordred in both understanding and thanks and left.  
  
The group made small talk for a while as everyone tried to come to grips with what they had learned. Ami found it strange that Mori didn't seem to have reacted to the theft of the Golden Crystal. Also, she had several questions about Iria and Zeryn to ask. It disturbed her that no one seemed to take the initiative to learn what they could about their adversaries, and she still hadn't given up on learning why the Primarchs could or would not restore last nights victims.  
  
"You say Iria can shapeshift like you. What else can she do?" Ami began.  
  
"Well, Clan Soren's abilities were Shapeshifting, a minor form of ancestral memory, and the ability to intensify magic that they cast. I have no idea what her lesser abilities might be." Neko said authoritatively. "Ulterran have two distinct sets of powers, greater and lesser. The greater are all shared by the Clan, the lesser vary from individual to individual. Sorry, that's all I can tell you."  
  
"But you said she was psychic." Makoto objected.  
  
"You're a mammal." Neko countered.  
  
"Huh?" Makoto said. Most of the other girls obviously shared her confusion, judging by their bewildered expressions. Ami on the other hand quickly made the connection.  
  
"What he means is all humans are mammals, and all Ulterran are psychic, it's intrinsic."  
  
"There are a few exceptions." Mordred cut in. "Of the uncountable numbers of Clans there were a few that were psionically dead. We couldn't even read their surface thoughts. They are actually the reason that verbal communication ever came into widespread use. Before then we only spoke to invoke the most powerful magics."  
  
"I still don't understand." Haruka admitted sheepishly.  
  
"Okay, I'll try it this way." Neko Explained. "Almost every Ulterran is psychic. Every one of them is capable of using magic to some degree. Most of them, with notably few exceptions, could channel hundreds of times more magical energy than any human could have hoped to. All Ulterran share a few basic defensive properties. No form of mind control has ever successfully worked them. I know about Chibi-Usa's problems but that was Mordred's Crystal, I'm willing to concede that he can probably do anything he wants, and the Crystal probably invalidates several things I consider holy writ." Mordred smiled at the counterpoint.  
  
"Magics that suppress life force don't work on Ulterran of great power. That means of course that Iria and Zeryn are both protected against almost all Entropy and killing magics, with the notable exception of the Eye of Daharu. Any Ulterran you find will likely be at least ten or fifteen thousand years old, with all the incumbent ability that would entail. To make a point, imagine how good you'd be at using your Senshi abilities after a few millennia of practice."  
  
"Also greater Ulterran can use magic without speaking, or in fact casting a spell at all. The can simply will the effect into being. The more powerful the effect, the more energy it takes. It quickly becomes more difficult and expensive than its worth. Mori over there almost knocked himself out sending that first message to Humanity about the Power Taps. It would have been impossible for him to send the second message about the loss of fossil fuels without Ritual Magic, in fact he would have passed out trying to do it any other way, which is why I did it."  
  
"Now I am confused." Michiru spoke up for the first time. "I thought you said Mori was the stronger of the two of you. Why would he have been unable to do what you did easily?"  
  
"Michiru?" Mori asked politely. "Would you do me a favour? I want you to cast a Dead Scream, can you do that for me?"  
  
"No of course I can not. My magic does not work that way."  
  
"Exactly my point, my abilities are different from Neko's or Mordred's or Lor's or Jander's. My powers are elemental and nature based, energy to matter transmutation and its reverse, command and control of natural forces, and of course transmutation of all kinds. Neko on the other hand is the best at Will Magic. He can do things that I can hardly dream of. Its true that our abilities often overlap, and most of what I can do he can mimic with magic and vice versa, but there are many things that one of us can do that the other can not. These powers are not our greater or lesser abilities though. Those are unique to us, or at least they used to be unique. Mina seems to possess a small amount of the same control of nature I have. I would also be willing to bet that Ami either has already or will soon demonstrate some of Neko's enhanced will magic."  
  
"So you're saying that any Ulterran can use magic, and the more powerful ones can skip the power translation step of actual spellcasting." Ami clarified.  
  
"Exactly Sprite." Neko said with a large smile.  
  
"Okay, would I be correct in assuming that the Silver Crystal allowed Usagi to use a form of Will Magic?"  
  
"Yes, in fact that was the only way it functioned. Even its secondary powers were a result of the stone trying to fulfil its wielder's desires."  
  
"So when Usagi brought us all back to life it was with Will Magic, something that any of you can easily accomplish."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then why can't you do the same thing for the people that died in last night's battles?" Ami finished. She was quite proud of her logic trap.  
  
Neko glared at the woman he loved. It hurt and angered him that she wouldn't let it drop. She should have known that had there been any way for him to help those people he would have done so. He couldn't tell the Senshi why he couldn't. There had been no discussion with Mori or Mordred about keeping them in the dark, it was unnecessary. Everyone on the planet with even the faintest glimmers of true magical abilities had to have felt Hotaru open the Eye of Daharu. It would be weeks before the astral vortex ended. Anyone who died in that time was simply gone. Their souls would be instantly consumed completely, oblivion awaited them. Over thirteen thousand people had already been annihilated and more were surely to come. He couldn't lay that kind of a guilt trip on a fourteen year old girl.  
  
"Because I can't." He replied acidly. There was no question that he was angry, no question that Ami had somehow crossed a line she hadn't even seen. Even so, she refused to let it go, there were thousands of people to think about.  
  
"You just said that you could though!" she countered hotly.  
  
"Ami, drop it."  
  
"No I won't drop it. I am a Senshi, it's my job to protect the people of earth."  
  
Under normal circumstances Neko would have seen her argument with a certain sense of humour, but along with the several thousand humans that died in the attack, nine of his newly transformed Mau had also been in the area and were of course now dead. It wasn't her fault, in fact it wasn't even Hotaru's fault, but Ami's stubborn refusal to accept his answer had crossed the line. He did too.  
  
"It looks like you girls didn't do too good of a job last night." He said bluntly. The Senshi reacted instantly and as a group.  
  
The sound of the girls gasping in both surprise and anger at the gibe echoed in the room. More than one of them moved to take a more hands on approach to expressing their disapproval, but Ami didn't have to move to do it. She quickly swung her hand at him with every intent to smack some tact into him and vent her pain, but as she expected he intercepted it before it landed.  
  
Mori leaned a little farther from his long time companion having learned eons ago that even being just shy of invulnerable meant little when an outraged woman was involved, as he did so he kept a tight hold of Mina who was just as displeased as the rest of the Senshi. He could easily see that Ami was straining quite hard to free her hand from Neko's grip. It was interesting to him that despite her brilliance she had yet to consider simply using her newfound power of shapeshifting to escape. It was probably just a matter of conditioning. She had, after all, only been capable of it for less than three days. Regardless of the reason, she failed to utilize her new powers and instead opted to try to physically overpower Neko's grip.  
  
Ami strained as hard as she could. Neko's hold of her wrist was incredibly strong but surprisingly gentle. It didn't hurt her. It simply kept her from smacking him like he so richly deserved. Again she tried to jerk her wrist free with similar predictable results. She could feel the muscles burn in her shoulder and forearm from the exertion. Suddenly her strength seemed to give out. Her vision wavered and blackness took her.  
  
Neko grinned internally at Ami's attempt to match his strength. No matter how much power she had absorbed from him he doubted she would ever accomplish what she was trying. He was a Primarch for Enkil's sake. She levered her arm again twisting to put all of her force against his thumb. Like all of her previous attempts to free herself it was unsuccessful. He watched as her expression darkened, then her eyes widened in surprise.  
  
Neko felt it this time. He was in physical contact with her, there was no way he could have missed it. The life energy she held within her simply vanished.  
  
His senses were wide open. The energy hadn't been drawn out of her. It hadn't dissipated into the air, nor had it went anywhere else as far as he could determine. It was just gone. He caught her in his arms before she even began to fall, and instantly teleported the pair of them to his room. She needed help, again.  
  
Mori's eyes widened in shock at what had happened. Even paying as close attention as he had been to Ami and Neko he had nearly missed it. As the rest of the Senshi turned their angry questioning gazes at him, he wondered just how in the world he could explain it.  
  
********  
  
Usagi unlocked the front door and stepped inside her home. The locked door only added to her misery as it meant that her parents weren't home, which meant she was on her own for finding something for dinner. Further adding to her suffering was the horrid sounds coming from upstairs. A nauseating screeching passing itself off as music, which Usagi personally believed sounded like the noises of some animal being turned inside out, seemed to fill the house. Interlaced in the noise, and thankfully almost buried by it, was the sound of Chibi-Usa's voice. Usagi would never claim that she could sing, but she was an idol compared to that.  
  
Trepadasciously she climbed the stairs seeking the source of the noise. She frowned at the door when she realised her destination was her own room. She nearly wept at the abuses that her wonderful stereo was obviously being subjected to. Quickly she pulled open the door and cringed at the now fully bare sound that assaulted her. Her teeth ached at the volume in her room and once again the horrifying song went into its chorus, with Chibi-Usa's off tune screeching just out of sync with it.  
  
"If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends, make it last forever friendship never ends. If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give, taking is too easy, but that's the way it is!" Chibi-Usa sang tunelessly. "So here's a story from A to Z, you wanna get with me you gotta listen carefully.Hey!" Chibi-Usa shouted as the music abruptly cut off. She spun and glared at Usagi, who stood poised angrily with her finger on the stop button on the CD player.  
  
"Stop that! Noise police citizens arrest!" Usagi chanted in a superior tone.  
  
"I was listening to that!" Chibi-Usa objected.  
  
"No, you were badly mangling an already terribly noise with your mistimed and off key parroting. Besides, you're too young to even think about the things that song was mentioning."  
  
"Too young?" Chibi-Usa sputtered completely ignoring the insults for the moment. "I'm almost sixteen and I know for a fact you were doing a lot worse than thinking by the time you were my age."  
  
"When were you born?" Usagi asked her shortly.  
  
"That hardly matters!" Chibi-Usa objected.  
  
"I disagree." Usagi countered primly. "You're not sixteen, you're not even born yet. You are far too young to be listening to that, and as your mother it's my responsibility to keep young impressionable children like you away from it." Usagi finished smugly.  
  
"This is so unfair!" Chibi-Usa yelled at her mother. "Talk about a total double standard!" With that the pink haired girl stomped out of the room, obviously enraged.  
  
Usagi pressed the eject button and carefully removed the offending disk from her stereo, holding it with the very tips of her fingers as if it were something foul. She dropped it and its case into the trash can and with a tiny flare of her will shattered the offending object into infinitesimal pieces. Casting one last look at the now ruined picture that had once graced the front of the CD case, Usagi snorted in derision.  
  
"And people think our skirts are too short," she said to herself. Usagi grinned and flashed a V sign to her reflection in the mirror. "That handles that. Usagi one, Spore nothing."  
  
With silence again filling the room Usagi sat down on her bed, pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She leaned her face against her legs and rocked slowly as she fell into deep contemplation, trying to figure out how everything had gone wrong.  
  
********  
  
".And another thing. Why in the name of the Moon did you not come to us with your suspicions? You know quite well that mind control magics do not work on us."  
  
"But. But mother, what could I have done. She refused to listen to reason."  
  
"Do you honestly believe that my charge has always listened to reason? You would be sadly mistaken if you did. I will have you know I have spent more time trying vainly to talk sense into our Princess than you likely ever will. I have had to watch her go through her teenage years not once but twice, and even then I have never failed her as badly as you have failed your charge. She could have died Diana. What do you have to say for yourself?" Luna demanded scathingly.  
  
"Mother, I tried my best to get her to listen to me. She was completely fixated on the idea of everyone being under some form of mind control. I even tried to get her to pick any other target rather than Mordred, but she just would not listen!" Diana complained bitterly. She had tried her best, and felt it was completely unfair of her parents to blame her for Chibi-Usa's stubborn foolishness.  
  
"You should thank the gods that she did not listen to you about that!" Luna screeched. "The only reason your charge is still alive is because she chose him as a target. Any of the others would have killed her outright! Do you have any idea how bad that would have been?"  
  
"Yes!" Diana replied indignantly, "I am not stupid you know."  
  
"With what you have shown me so far I have my doubts. I do not believe you truly understand just what repercussions your failure could have had. If Chibi-Usa would have attacked Mori or Neko-sama it would have lead to her death. When they killed her, Mamoru and Usagi, not to mention most if not all of the other Senshi would have turned on them. The best case scenario of that would be the total destruction of all of the Senshi other than Ami, Hotaru, Mina and Setsuna. Even worse would be if somehow the Senshi were able to kill any of the Primarchs. Those four girls need their lovers to survive. If Chibi-Usa had attacked Mori, and the girls managed to kill him, Mina would slip into a coma and die within a week."  
  
"But.that is not how it was." Diana complained. "The Senshi never needed them before."  
  
"Diana, the timeline you came from is gone. Almost everything you think you know is worthless. You simply must adapt to the truth of the situation."  
  
"Fine." The grey cat answered huffily.  
  
"Now, as for your failure, I think I have the appropriate punishment for you."  
  
"Punishment?" Diana exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, as it seems that Neko-sama has seen fit to try to rebuild our race, there are now several thousand Mau on the planet with us."  
  
Diana's eyes lit up at that. Other than her own parents she had never seen another of her race. Several thousand Mau meant at least a few hundred males. Diana nearly swooned at the idea of finally meeting a boy.  
  
"Since you obviously need to learn some responsibility and forethought you are hereby grounded from talking to or coming into contact with any of the males. I will of course consider ungrounding you once you demonstrate sufficient maturity."  
  
Diana felt like crying.  
  
********  
  
Iria gilded down the hall her every movement seductive, beautiful, and entrancing. Her poise was innate, as intrinsic to her as her ability to shapeshift. It was also completely wasted on the deserted passageway.  
  
Despite her own personal power, which was quite impressive, Iria was quite a bit afraid. She had done something that had directly led to the deaths of every one of her predecessors. She had failed. True she had succeeded in accomplishing several other tasks, but she had failed the mission that Zeryn had given her. She had not recovered the Silver Crystal. Worse, it was in the hands of one of the few beings she doubted she could trick. She whimpered in fear at the thought of Zeryn's probable reaction. She didn't want to join The Mindless.  
  
Shivering slightly at the thought of that particular punishment she approached the enormous rune carved mithril doors that barred the passage to Zeryn's personal rooms. She quickly flared her aura to identify herself to both the multitude of defensive magics and to her lord within the chamber. When the wards flickered in response she phased through the doors and knelt before her master.  
  
The room was opulent beyond the ken of mortals. The walls were comprised of Uru and coated with Ephemran making it both nearly indestructible and very beautiful. The Ephemran was enspelled to shift colour with Zeryn's moods. Even the gems that acted as focus points for the multitude of spells changed with the Ephemran. Iria was happy to note that the walls were blue with brilliant green emeralds inlayed at the foci. Zeryn was pleased at the moment. It might just make the difference between pain and joining The Mindless.  
  
Zeryn himself reclined casually on the bed. His emerald silk shirt was untied at the throat and breast exposing most of his chest as it lay open. One of The Mindless, a truly breathtaking blonde just past the age of maturity lay curled up against him like a kitten, doing her very best to draw his complete attention. It was obvious to Iria what she was interrupting, but from his expression Zeryn seemed unmindful.  
  
"Zeryn-sama I bring news of my mission." She intoned.  
  
"Go ahead Iria, tell me your news."  
  
Iria withdrew the Gold Stone from subspace and presented it to him. It shined in brilliant golden contrast to the walls and drew the eyes of The Mindless like a magnet. Iria waited unmoving as Zeryn summoned it to him, when it lay in his hand she continued.  
  
"I was unable to secure the Silver Crystal for you Zeryn-sama. The Gold Stone was still in the possession of a foolish Mortal, but the Silver Crystal has been given to a powerful guardian."  
  
"And why haven't you disposed of the guardian as I ordered?" He returned politely. Iria wasn't fooled by his apparently calm tone, she was walking the razor edge of a fate infinitely worse than death.  
  
"Zeryn-sama, I can not destroy its guardian."  
  
"And why not?" His tone was considerably less pleasant now, and the walls were darkening rapidly.  
  
"Zeryn-sama, the Avatars have awoken, the Will Avatar has reclaimed his Crystal."  
  
Iria had no time to wonder how her master would take the news. Nearly before she finished her statement she was hurled back into the door, waves of unbearable agony coursing through her. For several long minutes she held back the screams trying to tear themselves loose from her throat. Zeryn hated loud noise and the punishment would only get worse of she made any.  
  
"How do you know this?" He continued as if he never struck her.  
  
"From the .. From the mind of the Lunari, Zeryn-sama. He took the Crystal from her a few short days ago. According to her memories he felt she was too immature to wield it." She managed between silent sobs.  
  
"Lunari?" He questioned harshly  
  
"Yes my lord. The last descendants of Lunari lead the guardians of this world."  
  
Iria feared his reaction to learning that. Lunari was the only woman he had ever lusted after that he had been denied. Zeryn didn't take well to being reminded of her, in fact several of his former allies had joined the legions of the dead for speaking her name.  
  
"Are you certain that she is correct?" He asked almost politely.  
  
"She believes it my lord. Not only that but the Crystal abandoned her for the being she believes is Niccolai."  
  
"This is most distressing. With the addition of the Gold Stone we now have two of the five Avatar Gems. We are as of yet unready to come into conflict with such powers." He said thoughtfully. "What of the other Ulterran you sensed. What clans do they represent?"  
  
"Zeryn-sama, from the memories of the Lunari there are only she, her daughter, a male Earryn, and the Avatars. She knows of no others despite the fact that her aura shows close contact with four of them."  
  
"So, there are four Ulterran on the planet strong enough to hide themselves from the senses of a Lunari? Hmm, very well I have a new task to add to what you already must do. You will discover the identities of these rogue Ulterran and if any are female and of sufficient power you will bring them to me. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes Zeryn-sama." Iria said bowing even lower.  
  
"Begone."  
  
Iria quickly left the room despite the pain still lingering in her. She knew beyond the shadow of any doubt that though he had not mentioned it, Zeryn would not tolerate another failure. She thought back to the time before Zeryn, when her clan had been highly placed amongst Mori's servants. The power and prestige they had wielded had been immeasurable. Only the Earryn stood higher in his service and not by much. Had things been slightly different her father would have been entrusted with the Gold Stone and her clan would have never suffered under the rule of Zeryn.  
  
She clearly remembered the day in which Soren had been defeated. His death had led to the total enslavement of all the survivors. There had really been no point in resisting. Zeryn was a hundred times more powerful than any of her sisters. Her brothers were executed within the first hour. She did her best not to think about her sisters. All of them had at one time or another held her position as herald. All nine of those still alive were now among The Mindless. She would not survive another failure. Death was preferable.  
  
Without further delay Iria teleported back to the small blue world that had so recently became the centre of the conflict. While deep inside of her a part she had almost forgotten wept for her clan.  
  
********  
  
Neko floated over the roof of the Nobara apartment glowing brightly in complete defiance of his and Mori's previous caution. With grand gestures he carved runes of fire into the air. His voice echoed in the magic saturated air around him. With a final slashing motion he severed his direct connection to the long rune chain and, with a supreme act of will, bound the construct to the building beneath him. A purple dome flashed briefly into visibility at the instant of contact. Neko smiled and began yet another incantation.  
  
It was somewhat amusing to him just how far they had changed their activities in the last two days. Gone was any attempt at all to blend in, save for their continued use of their mortal disguises. Of course everyone in the entire school, and likely most of the city by now, knew who they really were but their disguises kept people from thinking too hard about the girls.  
  
His thoughts returned to the hideously complex warding he was placing on the apartment. The sheer power of the wards would stand out like a supernova. Anyone with even the slightest magical ability anywhere in the solar system had to be feeling him place these wards. Of course, it wasn't like Neko cared what people knew anymore. He would not allow Ami to remain in danger and now that Iria had proven that she knew who the Senshi really were it was time to take more direct defensive measures.  
  
The wards he put up would prevent anyone with Ulterran energies other than the girls and the Primarchs themselves from entering. It couldn't actually stop someone like Zeryn from coming through if he really wanted to, but he wouldn't do it easily and Neko would have plenty of warning. He almost hoped Zeryn would try.  
  
Neko thought about the layering of the wards and agreed with his original estimate. Given how long it took for each one to settle before he could place the next it would be completed just after midnight tomorrow. Tomorrow would be a busy day, he mused. Assuming that nothing went wrong He and Mori would need every minute of free time that they could find. Luckily tomorrow was Saturday and the only had a few hours of school to attend.  
  
********  
  
Operation Raiden T-60 Hours:  
  
The hastily assembled but carefully picked men crowded the briefing hall. The nearly one thousand men of the Gunshin Division occupied the vast majority of the room, leaving little space for their fellow soldiers on the Tate Armoured Division. All told there was very close to two thousand people in the auditorium when one counted all of the necessary support staff. The podium was the only area not jammed with chairs, there was no need, they would only hear from one speaker.  
  
General Yamakazi Kazushigi was well known in the JSDF. His story was nearly unbelievable, and unlike most officers the troops actually admired him. The reason was very simple, he had earned his rank the hard way. General Kazushigi had possessed no political connections, no vast wealth to draw from to support his rise through the ranks. In fact he was an orphan like so many others created during the Second World War. When he came of age in the early nineteen sixties he made a highly unusual choice. He chose to turn his short mandatory stint in the JSDF into a career. He served in several small domestic skirmishes, and even had the distinction of having trained with several of the elite international units. Like most of the modern soldiers he had never actually served in a time of truly armed conflict, but Tokyo itself spawned more than enough hotspots to keep him from being idle. His true fame though came from his troops' capture of over one hundred members of Aum Shinri Kyo. Several more of the cultists had been killed during the raid, yet Yamakazi never felt the slightest pang of remorse.  
  
General Yamakazi strode to the podium amidst the din, and drew the complete and total attention of everyone instantly. He stood a completely unimposing one hundred forty centimetres, but respect for his reputation quieted the room. His frowning expression seemed to impale anyone who caught his gaze to their seats. Without any preamble whatsoever his hugely amplified voice crashed over the assembled men.  
  
"You men have been hand selected for what is perhaps the most dangerous mission that has ever been assigned. The kamikaze pilots of the Great War had better odds."  
  
********  
  
Saturday seemed to last forever to Mori. If he wasn't completely certain that it was impossible, he would have sworn that Lor had slipped a few extra hours into the day. The short four hours of school seemed to stretch into what felt like at least twenty. At one point his boredom grew so great he seriously considered, going so far as to begin tossing plasma balls between his hands, incinerating something. Only the direct threat in Mina's eyes stopped him. When the final bell rang the terrified teacher left the room faster than any of the students.  
  
"Mori," Mina said with quiet anger, "you really need to control yourself. How long do you think its going to take for everyone to figure out about us girls if you keep reminding them who you are?"  
  
"I don't really know." Mori admitted sheepishly.  
  
"Well just think about it before you do anything like that again."  
  
"Fine, fine," he said dismissively while ignoring her continued expression of irritation.  
  
After looking around to make sure that everyone had left he smiled disarmingly at her and teleported both of them to the apartment. The unexpected transport caught her by surprise, which was exactly what he intended, and before she could catch herself she was in his arms. Her expression was a curious mixture of pleasure and irritation at his antics.  
  
"How would you like to go somewhere special tonight?" He asked before she had a chance to speak.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"It's a secret, but I'll give you one tiny little hint. It's not the kind of date that you worry about dressing up for."  
  
She contemplated his words for a minute then shrugged in surrender. She couldn't even begin to guess what he meant by that, and truthfully she didn't care. Simply being with him was more than enough.  
  
"Alright, but I have to go home for a little while. My parents haven't seen me in almost two days, other than right before school. I'm sure my mother has probably jumped to all kinds of weird conclusions. If I don't go play her "Darling Mina" for a few hours she'll probably call the police or something."  
  
Mori winced at the thought but stayed silent. Fairly soon, he knew, that would cease to be a problem. His only real concern was whether or not Mina would kill him for it.  
  
Several hours later Mina dashed through the door looking out of breath and very harassed. She had changed out of her school fuku into a short very attractive orange skirt and dress shirt. She had a light jacket just a shade or two darker than the rest of the outfit in her arms, obviously a concession to the possibility that the date might well last long enough for the night to grow cool.  
  
She sighed in pleasure at once again being at the Penthouse. The relief of not having to deal with her mother was profound. Of course escaping had cost her today. She had been forced to agree to bring Mori to meet the rest of her family tomorrow. She only hoped that her cousins didn't embarrass her too badly.  
  
Following the sound of voices she entered the kitchen to find Neko and Ami waiting with Mori. All of them were dressed casually and it became obvious to her that Mori's and her date would have company.  
  
"Mina," Mori said taking her hand and drawing her onto his lap for a kiss. "You're just the person we were waiting for."  
  
She looked at the others and quickly came to the determination that Ami was as in the dark about their destination as she was. They shared a confused and slightly hesitant look before turning their attention back to the guys.  
  
"So," Ami asked with a slightly exasperated tone, "are you going to let us in on your little secret yet?"  
  
"Yea," Mina interjected, "I mean where in the world are we going that's got you two so smirky."  
  
"Funny you should put it like that." Mori said with a smile.  
  
********  
  
She sat in on her bed in her room staring sightlessly at the wall. Ideas rapidly played through her head in how to deal with her problem, Mordred. She had been at it for hours but had yet to come up with one idea that had any chance at all of success. There was just no way for her to catch him off guard and he was too noble for anything blunt. It was frustrating to say the least.  
  
"Hotaru-chan," Michiru called from the doorway.  
  
"Yes Michiru-okasan?"  
  
Michiru came in and sat down next to the brooding youth. They had so much to talk about. Yesterday had been a day of change and revelation. She wasn't sure how to approach her daughter any more. One look at her daughter's pensive face broke the tension.  
  
"Oh Hotaru-chan, what's wrong?"  
  
"It's nothing." She began.  
  
"Oh do not give me that." Michiru chided gently. "I can see those busy little thoughts whirring around inside your head. I also have a reasonable idea what it is about. When a young girl has that look there is usually a boy to blame." She finished with a smile.  
  
"Mother." Hotaru returned in the mortified tone that every teenage female knows so well.  
  
"Well, it is true is it not?"  
  
Hotaru blushed all the way to her toes and hid her face in her hands. "It's not what you're thinking."  
  
"Hotaru-chan, how would you know what I am thinking?" Hotaru responded with a very flat stare that stated clearly that she wasn't stupid.  
  
"I saw Haruka-otousan's face when Mori said I had Ulterran energies."  
  
"Oh, well I guess that would give you a little hint would it not? So do you feel like talking about it? I promise to be neither intrusive nor judgemental."  
  
"I haven't slept with him." Hotaru stated emphatically. "He hardly even lets me kiss him."  
  
"My, that is odd. You always seem to be in his arms." She finished dubiously.  
  
"I know, but that's all he ever does. He never kisses me, I have to start them. He has never once touched me anywhere that Haruka-otousan would be angry about. In some ways he treats me like such a child. It's frustrating."  
  
"Have you considered that he just wants to make sure that you are ready? You are only fourteen."  
  
"I'll be fifteen in less than three months." Hotaru returned flatly.  
  
"Even still Hotaru-chan, you are very young. Perhaps he is simply trying to be patient and responsible."  
  
"I don't want responsible." She complained.  
  
"Then perhaps you should look elsewhere. Mordred is considerably older than you," she commented not appearing to notice the look of incredulity on Hotaru's face, "and his duties have forced him to be the man he is. Maybe you need to find someone closer to your own age if you want someone not quite so controlled."  
  
Hotaru stared at Michiru as if she had grown another head. The idea of trying to flirt with one of the boys at school was insane. She briefly wondered how that would go. Probably something like. 'Gee I know you've been making my life a living hell for the last four years, and you think I'm totally creepy, but would you like to go to the movies?' Even better would be trying to explain just why she had to break a date. 'I'm sorry dear but I just had to go change into the skimpiest outfit imaginable and run around with my friends for a couple of hours. No, no I'm not cheating on you, I just have parts of my life I can never tell you about.' Besides, not like she wanted to but, how would one go about breaking up with the Avatar of Entropy? That sounded like a remarkably bad idea.  
  
"Michiru-okasan, I don't think that would be a very good idea."  
  
Any further comment she would have made was interrupted by a knocking at Hotaru's door. Hotaru called out permission to enter and was highly surprised by the arrival of Chibi-Usa. Michiru excused herself and left the two teens alone. They hadn't spoken since Usa's abortive attack on Mordred and she was very curious why the pink haired girl chose now to show up.  
  
"Hotaru," Usa began politely. She was the Princess of an entire solar system. She had begun being taught poise and diplomacy before she could read. Her very existence proved that she was in the right. All she had to do was convince her best friend. This wasn't going to be easy.  
  
********  
  
"Sugoi!" Mina screamed. She had been to a lot of strange places, some wonderful, some terrifying but nothing had prepared her for floating three thousand light years away from her home looking back at the Milky Way in all its unrivalled splendour. She Ami Mori and Neko looked on from thirty degrees above the plane of rotation.  
  
"This is a most wonderful experience. It will be centuries, if not millennia before the human race has the capability to get to where we are." Ami commented.  
  
"Ami-chan, do you ever just. you know turn off the brain and look at something for its beauty."  
  
Ami cast a quick glance at Neko and blushed to her toes before answering. "Yes Mina, sometimes I do but this is something that has to be appreciated on all of its many levels."  
  
Mina rolled her eyes and once again allowed herself to be drawn into the wonder of the tableau before her.  
  
"Ready to see something else Mina-chan?" Mori asked gently.  
  
"Yes." She said still with her eyes glued to the titanic disk beneath them.  
  
Neko nodded at Mori indicating that Ami too was ready to go. Mori quickly checked the rings he and Neko had made. They were still completely intact and glowing a brilliant blue. Ami and Mina would be fine as long as they wore them. With a quick slashing motion he opened another portal, this one to a place just a little more dangerous.  
  
********  
  
"Why can't you believe me Hotaru?" Usa complained bitterly.  
  
"Because you're wrong?" She ventured scathingly.  
  
"Arhhh. How many times do I have to point out the obvious? If my timeline was gone than I wouldn't exist."  
  
"Actually Mordred already explained that little quirk. For all intents and purposes you are from an alternate dimension."  
  
"What?"  
  
"The only way to actively resolve a paradox without unravelling all of time-space is the introduction of a separate timeline in which the paradoxal events take place."  
  
"You mean this isn't my timeline?" Usa asked aghast.  
  
"Not entirely. This is the true timeline in which the paradox of your existence is resolved by your never having been born."  
  
"Then how do I get back to my timeline?"  
  
"You can't."  
  
"Can't Pu just send me home?" She asked hopefully.  
  
"No, right after your arrival it seems that Lor erased the time loop that your existence created. There will never be a Crystal Tokyo as you knew it."  
  
Usa's eyes filled with tears at the idea. She didn't want to believe it, but even Diana insisted Hotaru had been telling the truth. No one could control a Mau and all three of them insisted that the Senshi were free as well. She still had her doubts but they were fading fast.  
  
"Hotaru."  
  
"Shhh, its ok Usa." Hotaru said pulling her friend into a hug. "We're all still here. We all still love you. Things will just be a little different than you remember."  
  
"Why Hotaru, why?" Hotaru knew that the question wasn't about the changes in the future. It was far more personal. She knew Usa wanted to know about her defence of Mordred.  
  
"Because I love him." She answered simply.  
  
Usa was at a loss. It was official. Crystal Tokyo was gone. She knew first hand about the limits of Mind Control. It was very powerful if done right but it had one serious limitation. It couldn't create love. Usa believed that Hotaru was in love Mordred, therefore Hotaru wasn't under control. Hotaru would never allow someone to harm Usagi which meant she was also free and Crystal Tokyo was dead.  
  
"Tell me about him." Usa said softly.  
  
********  
  
Ami looked down at the swirling disk of luminescent plasma and couldn't contain a shudder. Below her was the most destructive object in existence, a Super-giant Black Hole. It sat in the centre of the galactic cluster that her own galaxy belonged to. It's inconceivable web of gravity held the cluster together. The Quasar at the event horizon was the only visible warning sign and by the time it was visible it would have been almost too late for anything to escape. They had seen many wondrous and beautiful things tonight but the thing beneath her feet would feed her nightmares for weeks.  
  
She looked over at Mina and goggled at the expression on her face. Mori had explained to her what the disk was, and what caused it, but she didn't seem to share Ami's revulsion to it. She seemed entranced by it. Ami admitted it was awe inspiring, but its beauty was like that of a snake. Interesting but not something you wanted anywhere near you.  
  
"She's starting to worry me." Ami commented to Neko in a whisper.  
  
"Don't, she's not seeing quite the same thing that you and I are."  
  
"What?"  
  
"She's beginning to see things the way Mori does. Where you and I see only the Quasar, they can see the entire web."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"No Mina, Don't do that." Mori's voice carried over to them. "If you play with the field like that you might cause the singularity to spin. That would be a Bad Thing."  
  
"Why?" Mina questioned curiously.  
  
"Because if it starts to spin it could destabilize the cluster, or almost as bad you might cause it to point its particle emission at something important, like an inhabited world."  
  
"Sorry," she said quickly.  
  
"Mori, I think its time we got on to tonight's main event." Neko called out to them.  
  
"Yea, good call." Once again he checked the girl's rings and once satisfied that they were still in good order he opened another portal.  
  
********  
  
"Oh Hotaru," Usa said gently. "I thought you said you two had been well. together."  
  
Hotaru actually squirmed with embarrassment, for several moments she couldn't meet Usa's eyes. Finally, after dodging Usa's inquisitive looks for a minute or so, she sighed and began trying to explain her most intimate activities.  
  
"Mordred is psychic."  
  
"Okay.." Usa began leadingly.  
  
"You don't it get do you."  
  
"Nope."  
  
"There are ways to be intimate without touching."  
  
"Ummm."  
  
"Fine, okay, just fine. He comes into my mind and we sort of share a wet dream okay?" Hotaru nearly shouted at Usa. She quickly realised her mistake and squeaked in fright at the thought of any of her parents overhearing her. She dashed to the door jerked it open and quickly looked around for eavesdroppers. Once she was satisfied that her announcement hadn't been overheard she returned to sitting on the bed with Usa.  
  
"Wow," Usa said once Hotaru returned. "That's sugoi, all of the fun and none of the worries. So is it as good as the real thing?"  
  
"I don't know." Hotaru growled.  
  
"Right sorry, it's just that I'm jealous. I mean in Crystal Tokyo I'm the Princess. Sure there are lots of guys trying to get my attention, but all they really want is to be the royal consort. They don't want me, they want power. Daddy has been so protective of me that none of the boys have even had the chance to steal a kiss, not that I wanted to kiss any of those losers, but still." She trailed off for a moment a distant look in her eyes. "You on the other hand know that Mordred likes you for you. Don't take this wrong but, you're the princess of a dead world. You aren't going to inherit the Silver Crystal and everyone has always been afraid because you're supposed to bring the silence."  
  
"Thanks." Hotaru said sarcastically.  
  
"I'm sorry it's just with all of that going against you, you know that he likes you for you, not who you are. You're very powerful, but I don't think that he's interested in trying to gain power through you." Hotaru laughed outrageously at the thought of Mordred using her in that way. If there was anyone that could be said to have too much power it was him.  
  
"Hotaru, are you sure you want to change your relationship with him like that? I think it's very romantic that he's waiting for you to be ready."  
  
"I am ready."  
  
"Are you sure he's the one?"  
  
"Very."  
  
"Then what we need is a plan, something to convince him that you're old enough to make those kinds of decisions."  
  
"And just how could I convince him. There's no way to win an argument with him."  
  
"Well, he is the personification of destruction. I kind of doubt that he's ever had a beautiful young woman come on to him."  
  
"Let me get this straight, you want me to try and seduce him," Hotaru said disbelievingly while Usa nodded her head. "With what?"  
  
"Hotaru-chan, you're very pretty. You could do it." She halted her compliment at the sound of Hotaru's mirthless laughing.  
  
"Usa, maybe, just maybe, if I was built like Makoto or Michiru I might be able to pull it off. But Mordred is right about one thing, no matter how much I've lived through physically I'm just a kid. There's just no way I could seduce him like this." Something flashed in Usa's eyes while Hotaru was talking. In anyone else it would have been called an evil glint, a devious idea, but no one had ever thought of Usa and evil in the same sentence.  
  
********  
  
Elios' astral form fled as fast as he could from the room. There was no way in hell he was sticking around with what was going on. Following Usa around and watching her was one thing but if Mordred even thought he was peeping on Hotaru. He was nearly ill with fear at the idea.  
  
He still wasn't completely sure why Usa had taken Mordred by surprise the other day but hopefully it was a one time incident. With what those girls were planning Mordred needed all the forewarning he could get. Again he shivered at the memory of what he had seen.  
  
There was one good thing that came of following Usa today though. Listening to Hotaru's confession of how they were intimate he had found a solution for his frustration with Usa. He was the prince of dreams after all.  
  
********  
  
Ami wept silently at the sight before her. Never had she imagined that anything could hurt as bad as this. Mariner castle lay in ruins. It looked like a sand castle stomped on by an angry child. There was no trace of any of the outbuildings. The reflecting pools resembled nothing more than just another impact crater.  
  
The city the castle had once overlooked was even worse. Not a single building remained. Not even the slightest trace. The broad thoroughfares were completely erased. The enormous royal library that was the centre of the city was gone. The library once held the sum total of human knowledge. It had likely held irreplaceable bits from the time of the Ulterran, now a radiation baked crater marked its location.  
  
Neko cradled her in his arms and gently smoothed her hair. There was no embarrassment, no humiliation at having her pain soothed like a child. Her memories of Mercury had just recently begun to return and now she could see what it had become. Beryl's attack on Mercury had left no survivors, and she hadn't even been there to try to aid her people.  
  
"Why did she do it Neko-chan?" Ami asked tearfully despite knowing he hadn't even been awake at the time.  
  
"I don't really know Ami-chan. This, like so many other atrocities, was meaningless. Metallia didn't need to destroy Mercury to get the Crystal. She probably did it just because she could. The only person that might really know is Mordred and he never talks about things like this."  
  
Mina looked around the dead world and fought to keep from retching. She remembered what Ami's home had been and she felt the loss almost as keenly as Ami did. It wasn't the lost knowledge or the destroyed buildings she saw, but the gentle forest that once lay just outside the city and the multitudes of people that once live loved and died here that tore at her heart.  
  
Mori leaned over and brushed a light kiss on her forehead before stepping away from her. She reached out to him in need but he gently made a motion for her to wait. With a small ripple of light Mori's clothing morphed into the uniform she had first seen him wear. His amber staff materialized in his outstretched hand and began to softly glow.  
  
With a stabbing motion he jabbed the butt of the staff into the hard packed dirt at his feet. Mina could feel the shifting of the ground beneath her as it was displaced. Mori closed his eyes and the glow around him began to rise like mist. He seemingly began to hum lightly and the ground vibrated in sympathy.  
  
"This is when the neat stuff starts to happen." Neko said unnecessarily. Ami briefly tore her eyes away from the odd spectacle before her to give Neko a wry glare. "Mori has never done anything like this before so we don't know if it will work quite the way he's planning."  
  
"Don't know if what will work?" Ami asked.  
  
"You'll see. Just watch, you're probably about to see a miracle."  
  
The glow around Mori continued to increase until it rivalled the sun. His hum began to oscillate in pitch and everyone could feel the ground roll beneath their feet. Mina wasn't sure what was happening but she could feel what Mori was doing. This wasn't magic. This was Mori's true power, and it echoed within her.  
  
His eyes snapped open and he began to speak quietly. His words carried over to them despite the distance and lack of air. Ami was sure that he wasn't talking to them, but to something else. "Awaken my child, swift guardian, your time of sleep has passed. No longer shall you be ignored. No more shall you miss the feel of life upon you. Your hurts shall be soothed. Your paths once again trodden. Awaken!"  
  
The light of his aura seemed to pour down his arms into the staff he held. For the briefest of instants no one could see. The staff glowed brighter than a supernova robbing even Neko of direct observation. A ring of light flashed out from the staff screaming across the ground at unbelievable speed. It disappeared over the horizon and was quickly followed by another. Ten times the staff flared until finally Mori fell to one knee. Mina rushed over to help him, but he quickly levered himself up with the help of his staff.  
  
"Neko, if you would please?" He said appearing out of breath.  
  
Nodding in acknowledgement Neko quickly flared his aura and the four of them instantly reappeared a hundred miles above the surface of the planet. The girls watched in amazement as the surface turned molten. Enormous geysers of magma erupted into the air. It was like watching a computer simulation of planetary evolution. Quickly the crust cooled and water began to fill the shallows. Large seas quickly divided the proto- continents, and blue water once again flowed on the tiny world. Amazingly while they watched green began to spread across the black ground until the entire planet seemed covered by vegetation.  
  
Neko nodded to Mori and clenched his fist. A titanic disk of black metal appeared situated between the planet and the sun. Its diameter was just larger than the corona as visible from Mercury. Directly in the centre of the disk was a huge hole, its function was obvious to Ami. The disk would limit the amount of sunlight reaching the planet to the same that the earth received. If she were correct it would maintain its position and create a near perfect illusion that the sun was further away. Depending on its construction it would also serve to lessen the lethal particle rain that Mercury received.  
  
As a last gift, Mori, with a smile on his face reached a hand out towards the surface of the planet and made a small pulling motion. She watched in joy as a large shape pulled itself up from the ground at the edge of the continent directly beneath them. Despite the distance she knew that shape. Mariner Castle had returned.  
  
Ami squealed in elation and pulled Mori into a hug. Without the slightest bit of hesitance she kissed him full on the mouth earning a cough from Neko and a glare from Mina.  
  
"Hey Sprite, where's mine?" He asked with a hurt expression.  
  
********  
  
Mordred sat in the silver room of Mori and Neko's apartment where he had been staying. He considered once again redecorating it to more his taste and again rejected it. He honestly didn't plan to stay here that much longer and it simply wasn't worth the effort minimal as it was. Tomorrow he would move into his own apartment. Hotaru would enjoy making the selections for all the decorating, not that he didn't know exactly what she would choose, but the simple act of letting her do it would please her.  
  
Of course Haruka was going to be a problem, there was no doubt about that, but he knew he could convince her. There was no doubt whatsoever that it would remain entirely platonic for now. He knew very well that he wouldn't touch Hotaru until she was older. As soon as Haruka understood that, he and Hotaru could begin cohabitating.  
  
That thought led to his greatest problem. Hotaru wasn't there with him right then. He had waited a very long time for her. From the very first instant of his awareness he knew that she would someday arrive. Unlike his fellow Primarchs he hadn't passed around his affections. He had waited for her. Now that the time was so near, now that she had arrived, he was finding it difficult to hold back. If Hotaru knew how close he had came to losing control she would likely have run in fear. He was terrified of scaring her off, oh he knew for certain that it wouldn't happen but whether or not that was the result of his restraint was a risk he wasn't about to take.  
  
Once again he tried to shake off the urgency, of need, that thoughts of her provoked. If he hadn't been so preoccupied he would have recognised the slight tingle that went through him as a paradox surge. As it was his first indication that something strange was going on was when she appeared in his room.  
  
********  
  
Hotaru was giddy-terrified but was doing her best not to show it. She caught their reflection in the mirror and once again was surprised at her own appearance. Only Usa, whose dream had always been to become a beautiful lady, could have come up with a plan like this.  
  
"But Hotaru, think about it. You and I both know what that's like. We've been there. Now you have the power to do it yourself."  
  
"Usa!" Hotaru screeched. "That's just. just wrong!"  
  
"Do you want him or not?"  
  
"I want him."  
  
"Then it's time for drastic measures." Usa finished dramatically.  
  
It had taken Hotaru half an hour to remember what the spell had felt like. Fifteen minutes after that she remembered the chant that she and only she had heard. After that it was a simple matter. It just took courage. Almost an hour later she finally worked up the nerve to begin.  
  
In the meantime Usa had snuck into Michiru's room for her and liberated a few of the things she would need. There was no way one of Michiru's bras would fit but really one couldn't be worn with the dress they had borrowed. She had briefly considered not wearing anything but the dress but the slit running up the side would be indecent without some sort of panties.  
  
Once everything was assembled Hotaru took the plunge. The spell was excruciating but she had felt worse. A moment of vertigo later and it was done. She now had the weapons needed to win the war against Mordred's willpower.  
  
"Oh Kami-sama." Usa said in wonder. "I am so happy I'm not trying to compete with you."  
  
Hotaru smiled in thanks and quickly dressed in the borrowed clothing. She gave Usa a hug absently noting that the silk dress rubbed rather pleasantly over some embarrassingly sensitive portions of her anatomy when she did. "Wish me luck." She said in a sultry alto.  
  
"Luck." Usa responded, and Hotaru teleported away to Mordred. The poor boy wouldn't know what hit him.  
  
********  
  
Hotaru appeared in the room like the popping of a soap bubble. Her eyes immediately sought and found Mordred. She nearly swallowed her tongue in nervousness at his expression of fear and wonder. His eyes raked her from head to toe. It took nearly all of her will to keep from blushing and to keep her knees from shaking.  
  
Mordred stared in shock at the woman before him. He knew for certain it was Hotaru, he was just trying to figure out how. She stood almost as tall as him, close to Haruka really. Her formerly short ebon hair now hung a little past her shoulders. The long black silk slip dress accentuated her slim but curvy body. Though she didn't pack quite the curves of Makoto, she easily put all of the other Senshi to shame in sheer attractiveness. He wasn't looking at a girl. He was staring at a woman in the full bloom of her beauty and he didn't have a clue what to do about it. The most changed yet the most the same was her eyes. The familiar violet orbs held a knowing expression and a hunger that he had never seen.  
  
"Hotaru-chan," he began breathlessly before she sauntered across the short distance between them.  
  
"No no Mordred, now is not a time for words."  
  
"But."  
  
"You said you wouldn't touch me until I was physically mature enough. I think you'll agree that I am."  
  
Mordred found himself nodding emphatically before he realised it. He shuddered and tried vainly to bring himself back under control. It was far more difficult than he expected. In fact it was impossible.  
  
"Hotaru-chan, you. you're only fourteen." He pleaded.  
  
"No, I was sixteen when the Moon Kingdom was destroyed. I'm almost fifteen now. All added up I'm more than old enough."  
  
Mordred began to whimper. Under normal circumstances he was quite certain that he could have come up with several convincing arguments to dissuade Hotaru from doing something like this. This however was anything but normal circumstances. The room was correct, her dress was correct, even the hungry look in her eyes was right. His vision of their first time was coming true but he was certain that this wouldn't have happened for several years. He could think of no way that Hotaru could have altered herself like this without him knowing about it well in advance. Until he remembered who her closest friend was.  
  
Hotaru closed the distance between them and held her hands out to him. He quickly took them and pulled her into his arms. As close as they were in height now he didn't have to bend down to kiss her. The feel of her soft lips parting and tongue taking tentative little dips into his mouth was the final straw. His last coherent thought for several hours was 'Dahak bless Chibi-Usa'.  
  
********  
  
Mina looked down at the world that had once been hers and watched as the toxic clouds continued to swirl inwards. Mori had explained that it would be far more difficult to fix what was wrong here than it was for Ami's world. Mercury had been almost completely destroyed there was nothing to undo really. He just had to revive it. Venus on the other had had simply gone mad. Whatever hell had been visited upon it had turned the world against itself. Mori swore that he could fix it, but it would take days. He had started the process and it would complete itself if she gave it time.  
  
Mina's heart ached for her one time home. Its beauty had been beyond compare. Not even the capitol city on the moon had ever held a candle to her home. She silently pleaded with her home to remember its former glory, to remember the majesty it had once been. She wished with all her heart that its return would be quick, and almost imperceptibly her aura flickered and the clouds swirled faster.  
  
*******  
  
Makoto sat outside on the postage stamp sized balcony attached to her apartment. She took a small sip of her o-cha and grimaced at it's cooled state. She hadn't realised that she had been outside that long. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed.  
  
There was something in the air tonight a feeling of expectation that had been met. She didn't know what it was about but it made her feel somehow more alive. It had definitely kept her from sleeping. Not that she really wanted to sleep anyway. Her dreams hadn't given her any peace since the Primarchs awoke, and in the last two days they had been even worse.  
  
Her memories of the time of the Moon Kingdom had been steadily resurfacing for the last several weeks but in the last two days they had been exclusively about her relationship with Nephrite. Her body still felt aflame when she remembered her dreams from the night she had been changed. Whether it had been a result of what she had felt during the conversion or from finding Nephrite alive and as flirtatious as ever she had no idea but she knew beyond the shadow of any doubt that she would never ever be able to touch a bottle of chocolate syrup again without blushing madly.  
  
She was sure of something else now that her memories were returning as well. The Nephrite she had known back then would have died before betraying her. It was next to impossible for her to reconcile the Dark General with the man she once knew. She shook her head violently trying to dispel the warm feelings that arose in her heart at her memories of him. He betrayed her, he had to have. Despite how much her head argued, her heart refused to listen.  
  
There was no obvious sign of it but suddenly Makoto knew she wasn't alone. She whipped her head around and found him floating a few feet away in the darkness. He faced her directly his eyes offering no challenge but not shying away either.  
  
"Nephrite," She said as coldly as she could, which wasn't half as cold as she would have liked.  
  
"Lady Jupiter," he replied bowing formally.  
  
He was once again wearing a uniform though it was different from that he had worn in Beryl's service. It wasn't quite what he had worn as Endymion's guard but it was close. His dark blue side buttoning dress shirt and loose fitting pants couldn't disguise his powerful build. A silver cape fluttered in the light breeze. Makoto sucked in a tight breath at the feelings the sight invoked.  
  
His dark brown eyes were soft with obvious pain. She could tell from long familiarity just by his stance that he was here to apologize. Unlike when she had done battle with him back then this Nephrite displayed all of the correct subtle little body language clues. It was confusing to say the least.  
  
She wasn't dumb enough to have misunderstood Mordred's declaration the night of the battle. Mordred had as good as said that Nephrite was her soulmate and she wasn't about to question him. There had to be something she didn't know about what had happened to Nephrite. She didn't want to think that Neko had brought back the monster that Nephrite had become.  
  
"Lady Jupiter is long dead Nephrite."  
  
"Forgive me Kino-san, I meant no disrespect."  
  
"Why are you here?" She asked in a carefully controlled tone.  
  
"The truth?" He questioned. At her nod he raised a single eyebrow wryly and replied with a milimetric smile. "I needed to see you. I half hoped that you would notice me and force some kind of confrontation."  
  
"What in the hell do you mean by that?" She questioned harshly.  
  
"Just exactly what it sounds like. After our meeting the night before last I have felt a need to end the subterfuge that Mori and Neko have forced upon us. I have missed you."  
  
"You don't even know me."  
  
"I think I do. Do you want me to tell you what I see? You stand there looking defensive with your hands slightly clenched at your sides. You are not exactly set to fight but you are prepared to defend yourself if I come any closer. Even with all that you speak to me without assuming your power. Your questions have been polite even though your voice is tight. You're intrigued by my arrival. You know that one on one you could easily take me now, so you're not afraid. You have reason to hate me but you know there is something odd about what happened. Further you were nearly Neko's lover and you doubt that he would hurt you like this. Do you want to know the truth Kino-san?"  
  
"What makes you think I would trust you to tell me the truth?"  
  
"I don't think you would. I expect you to confirm it with the Primarchs at the first opportunity. You lack of trust hurts me Kino-san but I understand it."  
  
Makoto felt about an inch tall. She knew she should be frying his flying butt right then but she just couldn't work up the anger. He was right and there had to be another explanation. She needed to hear it from him.  
  
"Tell me," she said walking over to the sliding door and with a slight motion of her hand invited him to follow her inside.  
  
********  
  
Mina rolled over and barely opened her eyes into the brightness of the dawn. It took her just a second to remember where she was before the full memories of last night settled on her. After returning to the Penthouse she had been exhilarated. The date had been unusual but amazing. The things she had seen were beyond her ability to adequately describe. After thanking Mori in the most glorious way she could she had felt more tired than she had since the transfusion. For the first time since then she had slept more than a few hours. The comforting feel of Mori's arm across her made waking up a pleasure rather than a chore.  
  
"Good morning Mina-chan."  
  
"'Morning." She whispered looking back over her shoulder at him.  
  
"We need to get ready, today is gonna be very busy Mina-chan."  
  
"About today." Mina began sheepishly. "I kinda promised my family that we would come over for a get together." She said tapping her index fingers together nervously.  
  
"That's a good idea. We already needed to talk to them today anyway."  
  
"Mori you don't understand. It's not just going to be my parents. There will be aunts, uncles and cousins all over the place. My mother wants my entire family to meet you. I'm sure you were able to see what she is like. It's going to be a nightmare."  
  
"Ouch, ok that's going to make this a lot worse than it has to be."  
  
"Make what worse Mori?"  
  
"Let's get cleaned up then I'll tell you. I'd rather not be forced to run screaming while naked."  
  
An hour or so later Ami, Mina, Mori and Neko knelt around the table. The two girls wore identical expressions of horror, though Ami seemed to be recovering slightly. Neko had never been happier that the apartment was warded as heavily as he could possibly make it. He wasn't entirely sure that it would still be standing later otherwise.  
  
"You want us to what?"  
  
"It's not a want Ami-chan." Neko began diplomatically. "Iria knows who you are. How hard do you really think it would be for her to teleport house to house and just wipe you all out when you're alone? Almost as bad, she could just as easily take your families hostage. I know you have no qualms about sacrificing your own life for the greater good but could you sacrifice your mother's? What about you Mina? Could you let Iria torture and kill your parents?" The answer was obvious.  
  
"Fine, I can understand that part but why do we have to tell them?" Mina asked petulantly.  
  
"Do you really think I could convince them to all move in without using magic? Do you honestly believe that your parents would let you stay here with me without knowing the truth?" Mori added.  
  
"Yes." Mina replied. "At least my mother would." She qualified after a second.  
  
"There are more Senshi than just you two though. Makoto and the Outers will be easy to deal with. Rei and especially Usagi are going to be much much harder."  
  
Ami glanced down at her watch and frowned. Her mother would leave for work in less than an hour. If Neko wanted to try to convince her to move, and allow Ami to move in with him he had better talk fast. "Neko if you want to catch my Mother before she leaves for work we have to go now." She said. He reached out to take her hand and in a flicker of light they vanished.  
  
A few minutes later while Mina sat dreading talking to her family, Mordred staggered out of Neko's hallway. He looked like hell. He wore only the pants to his usual outfit. His eyes were completely bloodshot and he shivered every couple of seconds. While she watched he cast a fearful look back down the hallway and hurried into the kitchen.  
  
"Kami-sama what happened to you!" She exclaimed when he fell onto the cushion Neko had recently vacated.  
  
He looked at her with glazed eyes and a trembling half smile. His expression was disturbing to say the least. He had just opened his mouth to speak when someone from her darkest nightmares stepped into the room. Mistress Nine strolled in like she owned the place wearing only a silver sheet held loosely around her willowy form. It was far beyond disturbing to see the smile on her face. She sat down directly in Mordred's lap and pulled him into a scandalously deep kiss, almost losing her sheet in the process.  
  
Mina's brain had temporarily shut down at the sight before her. She tried to make sense of what she was seeing but it was to no avail. Mistress Nine giggled like a school girl and readjusted herself on Mordred's lap drawing a half pain half pleasure groan from him.  
  
"I have to go Mordred. Michiru-okasan will be in to wake me up in a minute and I don't think I want to try to explain this just yet."  
  
Mordred nodded emphatically but whimpered in loss when she stood up.  
  
"I have to change back and find something to wear home. Don't forget to fix that dress." She said with a smile that screamed naughty. Before Mina's eyes Mistress Nine shrank back into Hotaru and giggling dashed back down the hallway.  
  
Mordred groaned lightly and his head thumped hard into the table as he leaned forward. After just a few seconds he once again raised his head to meet Mina's still stunned gaze. He seemed torn between being ashamed and grinning from ear to ear. Shame though was obviously winning the argument.  
  
"If the gods have even the slightest say with us I'll have you know I'm going straight to hell for this." He said ardently before allowing his head to slam back against the table. Mina simply nodded, desperately hoping that she hadn't just seen what she had seen. Mori on the other hand was still staring at Mordred with an expression of profound shock on his face, the eggs he had been frying having long since turned into char.  
  
********  
  
Convincing Mizuno-san was far less difficult than it really had any right to be. Of course given that it was to protect both her and her daughter Mizuno-san readily agreed. The bonus of not having either rent or utility bills and living in one of the most upscale neighbourhoods in Azabu- Juuban didn't hurt either. Neko also promised her that the termination of her lease on the current apartment would be a snap. So what Ami had expected to have been a hard fight was handled simply in a matter of minutes. Joi even had time to grill Ami about not coming home last night before leaving.  
  
Knowing Usagi like they did they decided to first deal with Makoto. It was still before nine in the morning and not even Ami was optimistic enough to believe that their princess would be happy to see them if they arrived. Neko once again teleported them to the front door of Makoto's apartment complex. As they walked up the stairs to Makoto's floor Ami made note to start running every day. With as much teleportation as she did she would quickly become out of shape if she didn't take steps to correct it.  
  
When they arrived at Makoto's door Neko frowned at it. Ami shrugged at his antics and rang the bell. She could easily track Makoto's progress through the apartment as she came to answer the door. First was the very proficient cursing at being awoken. The there was the sound of something heavy hitting the floor, likely Makoto herself rolling out of her bed. The sound of her footsteps approaching the door brought a smile to Ami's face.  
  
Makoto pulled the door open, and glared at Ami. She sighed in frustration at the fully awake and cheerful look on her face. She was obviously still in her pyjamas and definitely not ready to face the day. She had a very brief surge of shyness at Neko seeing her in her sleepwear but shrugged it off quickly. He had seen her in far less.  
  
"What brings you people here at this hour of the morning" she said stepping aside to invite them in.  
  
"Oh, just a little proposition for you." Neko said with a smile.  
  
For a fraction of a second hentai thoughts ran rampant through her mind. They died a violent death at the thought of what Ami would do to them if they were to enact any of them. She released a long suffering sigh and waited for them to get to the point. They entered the front room and Makoto remembered something very important about last night.  
  
Ami frowned at Neko for bating Makoto like that. She was still likely a little sensitive about their relationship. It just wasn't nice of him at all to tease Makoto like that. She followed her friend into the front room and all her thoughts ground to an instant halt. Nephrite was sleeping on the couch.  
  
"Uhhh. ummm. you see." Makoto stuttered.  
  
"Masaka." Ami swore softly.  
  
"It's not what you think!" Makoto nearly shouted defensively. Nephrite rolled over and pulled the throw pillow he had been laying on over his head.  
  
"Really?" Neko asked with an ear splitting grin.  
  
"Yes!" Makoto said loudly, again causing Nephrite to burrow deeper under the cushion.  
  
"So you did do something ecchi. And here I thought you just spent the night talking things through."  
  
Makoto's mouth opened and closed soundlessly like a fish pulled from the water. Her eyes were as wide open as they could possibly be. Her hands clenched and unclenched spasmodically. Finally she managed to get her voice back.  
  
"That is exactly what we were doing!" She shouted defensively. Nephrite rolled to face them and forcibly opened an eye to glare balefully at them.  
  
"I know that." Neko replied calmly.  
  
It was at that point that Makoto realised what was going on. "Quit reading my mind!" She screeched in indignation.  
  
"But Mako-chan I wasn't trying to read your mind. You were shouting your thoughts at me." He countered.  
  
Makoto gave up any pretence of dignity and fled to her room. Ami sighed, bopped Neko lightly on the head and with a muttered "Baka" she followed after her friend to try to explain the current crisis.  
  
Nephrite got to his feet and watched Neko warily. He had disobeyed so many of Neko's orders and broken almost every restriction Neko had placed on him that he wouldn't be too terribly surprised if Neko killed him.  
  
"So Nephrite, did you sleep well?" Neko inquired politely.  
  
Nephrite wasn't fooled in the slightest. Neko couldn't possibly be that calm. There was absolutely no doubt that he had disobeyed Neko. He only hoped when the punishment finally came it would be over quick.  
  
"Yes Neko-sama."  
  
"I find that difficult to believe. Couches are notoriously uncomfortable." Neko paused for a moment. He looked at Nephrite strangely for an instant before continuing. "I think we both know what you've done wrong, correct?"  
  
"Yes Neko-sama."  
  
"Are you prepared for your punishment?"  
  
Nephrite swallowed nervously. He had been there to try to assist Zoicite when he had been caught spying on Mercury. It hadn't been pretty. He prayed that his punishment wasn't as bad. Unfortunately he had little hope of that. Zoicite had only watched, he on the other hand had interacted. He had spent the entire night explaining his side of the story, desperately trying to make the woman he loved see the truth. He must have fallen asleep but he couldn't remember when. Jupiter must have brought him a blanket afterwards, it spoke well for his future chances, assuming he had a future that is.  
  
"Yes Neko-sama."  
  
"You realize that I could quite easily destroy you for this?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Do you have anything at all to say in your defence?"  
  
"Nothing that would change your mind, Neko-sama."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"The only defence I have is the same defence Zoicite had. I love her. It was more than worth the risk of you finding out to spend time with her. I told her the truth and I think she believes me a little."  
  
"Is that it?" Neko said harshly. Nephrite nodded glumly and tried to prepare himself for agony he couldn't even imagine. Neko reached out and grabbed Nephrite's hand. He lightly smacked him across the knuckles and chided him in a parental tone.  
  
"Bad Nephrite." With that he followed where Ami had gone leaving a very confused sorcerer standing right where he had left him.  
  
********  
  
They started at the Jinja. They weren't expected at Mina's until early afternoon and neither of them were exactly in a hurry to get there. Rei was very surprised to see them. When they simply appeared at the top of the stairs she almost dropped her broom.  
  
"Good morning!" She said formally but with a friendly twinkle in her eyes. Mina dashed over to her and gave her a quick friendly hug.  
  
"Good Morning to you too Rei-chan!" Mina chirped.  
  
Rei was happy to see them. She was finally beginning to get used to seeing Mina completely coherent before noon. There was something slightly odd about Mori but she couldn't quite pin it down, until she realized just who she was looking at. Mori was out with Mina, not in his Tenjin disguise. That set off all kinds of warnings for her.  
  
"What happened?" She asked quickly glancing around to make sure that no one, especially her grandfather, was watching.  
  
"We have some important news and you're probably not going to like it." Mori said apologetically.  
  
"What do mean?"  
  
"We really need to talk this over with your grandfather." Mori replied.  
  
"Oh my god you got Mina pregnant!" Rei said in horror.  
  
A curious expression crossed Mori's face for a moment before he began to laugh. Rei stared at him in confusion and Mina just shook her head. After a few seconds Mori pulled himself back together and shook his head negatively.  
  
"No Rei-chan it's not that. That's actually impossible. From ummm. exhaustive research during the time of the Ulterran we determined that we Primarchs couldn't have children." At Rei's flat expression he clarified. "If it was even a remote possibility it would have happened a long time ago, trust me."  
  
Rei nodded carefully and sent Mina an apologetic look. It hurt her a little to think about Mori's past. She didn't even want to imagine what it made Mina feel like. It was also a little depressing to think that Mina would never know the feeling of being a mother. She had confessed more than once that she loved children.  
  
"I'll go get him, but don't you want to change your appearance?" She asked bluntly.  
  
"No, it's not going to be important for that much longer." Rei was very disturbed by that statement.  
  
Ten minutes later her grandfather sat shaking like a leaf trying his best to remain calm in the presence of a being whose spiritual power he could feel without even trying. To a priest as experienced as he was there was no mistaking Mori's fully bared power. It was like sitting in the presence of a god. The fact that the god was being polite and even respectful did little to allay his fears.  
  
"Would you please repeat what you said Mordaki-sama?" He requested as politely as he could.  
  
"Certainly. You and your granddaughter are in mortal peril. As I am quite certain that you already know your granddaughter has more than a few secrets. Some of which should be quite obvious to a man with your skills." The guuji nodded quickly doing his best to keep Rei from noticing. "Since you already know that much this will not come as much of a surprise. Her enemies have penetrated her identity. It is simply impossible for any of you to go on as you have been." Mori ignored Rei's sputterings of outrage and sent Mina a mental request to try to calm her friend.  
  
"Neko has warded the building where we reside as strongly as it can possibly be. Though the spiritual defences of this Jinja are powerful they wouldn't even begin to even slow down the forces she now faces. For her safety and your own I implore you that you come with me. We have an apartment already prepared for you and of course we would take care of all the mundane concerns such as bills."  
  
The guuji crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head against it. After only a few moments he returned his gaze to the being in front of him. It was abundantly clear that he would refuse.  
  
"I am truly sorry Mordaki-sama but I cannot abandon this Jinja. My clan has tended this shrine for over four hundred years and I will not shame them by shirking my duties."  
  
"Hino-san I understand and even respect your dedication to duty, but the forces I speak of will kill you and your granddaughter before even I could cross the distance to here. With some of the dangers death wouldn't even be the worst part. Some of these enemies would devour your soul slowly for the rest of eternity. Surely you understand the danger."  
  
"Yes I'm afraid I do understand. I recognise and accept the risks I take in remaining, Rei on the other hand will be going with you."  
  
"Ji-san!" Rei screamed in defiance.  
  
"No Rei, listen to me. For three years now I have known about your special destiny. I have watched proudly as you used your training to aid your friends. Your dedication to them has always been a bittersweet blessing. I have known from the first day your abilities awoke that you were destined for other things than tending this humble Jinja. You will leave here today. I seriously doubt that the enemies you face with bother themselves with one old man if you're not here to fight them off." He said with a sad smile.  
  
"Ji-san, I can't leave you here alone."  
  
"You can and you will. I did fine on my own for years before you came here. I can do it again." He didn't look half as confident as he sounded.  
  
"Hino-san I can not stress strongly enough how vulnerable you are here. I thank you for your decision with Rei, but what would happen to her if you were taken. She loves you very much. It would destroy her."  
  
"If that event should come to pass I would ask that you kill me rather than allow them to use me to hurt her." His expression was totally serious and unwavering. Rei sucked in a breath at the intensity.  
  
Mori stared hard at the little old man that had single handedly raised Rei to be the woman she was. He was more than a little impressed by him. The strength of character it had to taken to do what he had done was amazing. After nearly a minute of staring, during which time the guuji never flinched from his gaze, Mori nodded in agreement.  
  
He turned to Rei and handed her a small stick. It was less than twelve centimetres long and no more than two thick. She stared at him in confusion before he explained.  
  
"Rei I want you to go around and tap that against anything you want moved to your new apartment." She glared defiantly at him for a moment before silently leaving the room. Mori knew beyond any doubt that he hadn't heard the last of this from her but if keeping her safe made her hate him forever he would gladly accept it. At least she would be alive to hate him.  
  
"Hino-san I thank you for your hospitality." He said formally.  
  
"You are very much welcome."  
  
Once that was said Mina and Mori stood and quietly left the room. As soon as they exited the building they vanished moving on to their last stop before Mina's, The Outer's house. Once they were gone Hino-san sat down wearily and sighed at the death of tradition.  
  
"Ji-san?" Rei said tentatively from the doorway.  
  
"It's ok Rei-chan, really. I've known for a long time that you probably wouldn't be able to continue on here forever. It hurts but we have to face the truth. Besides, just because you're leaving the nest doesn't mean you can't come by and help out when you have time." He smiled gently at her when he spoke.  
  
Rei rushed over to him and enveloped him in a tight hug. She didn't want to leave but her presence would put him at unacceptable risk. She cried at the loss of the only place she had ever called home, and vowed then and there to make Iria and her master pay for this.  
  
"Rei-chan."  
  
"Yes Ji-san?"  
  
"Can you do an old man one favour?"  
  
"Anything you need Ji-san."  
  
"Can you have your little friends come by in those little outfits? It keeps a man young seeing pretty girls dressed like that."  
  
Rei seriously considered stuffing him into the sacred fire.  
  
********  
  
Mina had been dreading this moment for a full day. She stood just a few steps from her front door tightly clutching the hand of Mori who was currently in his Tenjin persona. The visit to the Outers had gone as easily as they had expected, though both Mina and Mori had a bit of trouble not staring at Hotaru. Likely by now all of the girls' possessions and been transferred to their new apartments. Michiru and Haruka had at first complained and even rejected the idea that Hotaru would be with Setsuna and they would have an apartment to themselves until it was pointed out that they would literally be right next door and it would be impossible to fit everything they owned into just one.  
  
Reluctantly they agreed but they had made some not at all veiled hints that Hotaru would not be taking advantage of the situation and getting away with anything they wouldn't allow. Mori had almost swallowed his tongue trying to keep from laughing.  
  
She looked at Tenjin with a pleading expression and with a prayer for strength opened the door and walked inside. All noise cut off abruptly as the gathered family members took in the sight of Mina and Tenjin. They could almost feel the weight of dozens of stares. It was all Mina could do not to squirm under the attention.  
  
"Mother, Father, I'm sure you remember Tenjin." Mina began shakily. "Tenjin allow me to reintroduce you to my parents, Aino Toku and Aino Aijin." Tenjin bowed formally and with the flare of a stage magician presented a very formal guest gift. Aijin's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Thank you very much for inviting me into your home."  
  
All around the room relatives goggled at the formality of the young man before them. More than a few of Mina's female cousins began to weep bitter tears of envy. Mina drew confidence from their jealousy and soon everything was going to plan.  
  
Three hours later Tenjin was getting ready to kill people. He had never in his life been involved in a family gathering and he couldn't for the life of him understand their incessant need to drag out each others most embarrassing moments and tout them about. Worse for him was the constant invasion of his personal space. With Mina and the other Senshi it was one thing but Mina's family seemed to delight in crowding him. He was beginning to get positively twitchy.  
  
Mina watched as her cousin Megumi once again step a little to close to Tenjin for her taste. A sliver of worry entered her heart at the brief flash of anger that crossed his face. She stole a glance at the clock above the television and could hardly repress a shudder. They were supposed to meet up with the rest of the group in less than an hour. Tenjin undoubtedly knew the time so it wouldn't be long before he made his announcement.  
  
Almost as if her thoughts had triggered it Tenjin began making his way towards where her parents were seated lightly tugging her along with him. Never in her life had she so wished to be anywhere else as badly as she did right then. She did not want to cross the room. She did not want to try to explain the truth to her parents. Mostly though, she did not want to see that look of disappointment in her mother's eyes again.  
  
"Aino-san," Tenjin said addressing her father but seeming to include her mother as well, "may we have a word with you in private? We have something rather important to discuss with you."  
  
Aino Toku seemed slightly taken aback by the request, Aijin on the other hand reacted amazingly fast, right after leaping to the wrong conclusion.  
  
"Oh my baby's getting married!"  
  
Mina wanted to crawl under the rug and just die.  
  
Mina and Tenjin sat together on one side of the small office room. The loveseat they occupied was a relic from the time the Aino family had lived in England, as in fact was most of the furniture in Toku's office. Mina clutched Tenjin's hand in a grip that would have easily turned the bones in any mortal's hand into powder. Nothing, absolutely nothing Mina had been able to say had shaken Aijin's conviction that Mina was getting married.  
  
Toku stared hard across the room at his future son-in-law. The boy was undoubtedly a good match for Mina looks wise and he seemed both polite and intelligent but there was something off about him. Toku couldn't quite put his finger on it but it was there somewhere.  
  
". And of course I really thought you should have waited until at least after you finished your education, but love comes to us in its own time I guess." Aijin continued talking despite the fact that no one even realized she was speaking.  
  
"Excuse me." Tenjin began as politely as he could. Once he finally had the attention of both of Mina's parents he cast a quick glare at the door making the room completely sound proof much to the disappointment of Mina's other relatives who were currently stealthily pressing glasses to the wall and door in an attempt to eavesdrop.  
  
"Well boy," Toku said, "go on."  
  
"Right, sorry. Before this got out of hand Mina and I," Tenjin carefully ignored Mina's growl of dissention, "felt it was past time for you to know the truth."  
  
"The truth about what?" Toku said neutrally.  
  
"My baby is pregnant!" Aijin squealed.  
  
"Umm, no." Tenjin quickly interjected. "It's just that she has been keeping a secret from you for quite a long time.  
  
Mina growled at Tenjin and took over the explanation. "Mother, father do you remember when I got Artemis?"  
  
"Yes." Toku said shortly. He never really liked the cat despite how well behaved it was.  
  
"Well Artemis isn't just an ordinary cat."  
  
"Yes Mina-chan," Aijin said pleasantly. "Artemis is a very smart cat. He's always been so good about going outside to make his little messes and he's never coughed up a hairball on the floor or shredded the drapes or any of the normal little kitty pranks."  
  
Mina knew this was going to take a while. Tenjin on the other hand displayed his usual total lack of tact. She tried to stop him but by the time she realised it, it was far too late.  
  
"No Aino-san." He said speaking to Aijin. "What she means is Artemis is actually an alien being called a Mau and four years ago it awakened her to the knowledge of who she really is."  
  
Toku didn't particularly like the direction this conversation was going. That nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right about Tenjin intensified dramatically. He half wanted to ask the boy to leave but something inside of him needed to hear what the children were talking about.  
  
"What do you mean, boy?" He asked gruffly. Mina really, really, really hoped that Tenjin didn't take offence to her father's tone. She squeezed his hand even harder in both comfort and warning.  
  
"I'll answer that father." She replied. "I am Sailor Venus." She watched her parents' faces for a moment. Her father's frown deepened as he tried to take in what he had just been told. Her mother on the other hand simply laughed.  
  
"Oh Mina you're so funny. Leave it to you to say something like that to make your father and I laugh. No we really must get back to discussing your wedding plans."  
  
"Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!"  
  
A brief light show and a flash of skin that no father ever wants to see of his teenaged daughter later, Sailor Venus stood head held high facing her parents. Her mother seemed glued to her seat her eyes were as wide open as they could possibly be. For years she had secretly followed the exploits of the city's fuku clad defenders and now here in front of her was her daughter a part of them. She squealed in delight clutched her hands under her chin and practically danced in her seat. Toku on the other hand was not amused.  
  
"Mina for Kami sakes put some clothes on!" He demanded loudly. "Do you have any idea what that outfit looks like?" He glared at Tenjin. "Cover your eyes boy!" Once again he returned to his tirade at Mina. "Please tell me you don't do that changing thing in front of other people! You're naked when you do that! What are you trying to do Mina, give me a heart attack?"  
  
Toku returned his glare to Tenjin. He was justifiably beyond irate but something within him knew that provoking the polite seeming boy would be a mistake. With great effort he modulated his tone to something less than belligerent and continued the interrogation.  
  
"And just who are you then? Are you that fool that runs around in formal wear tagging along after them like a lost puppy?" He snarled. Tenjin's face pulled up like he had eaten several rotten lemons.  
  
"Please," He said with a horrified expression, "let's try to keep this polite." Mina absently bopped him on the head for his treatment of Mamoru.  
  
"Well if you're not that Tuxedo whatever guy then just who are you?"  
  
Mina watched the dawning horror on her fathers face as Mori resumed his normal form. The sight even managed to cut through the 'happy fog' that had so enveloped her mother. Mori bowed while remaining seated and answered him with a smile.  
  
"My name is Mori. Pleased to meet you."  
  
It took a few minutes before Mina was able to calm her parents enough to continue the discussion. Of course Toku had considerably more difficulty dealing with the situation, but that was just because that he, unlike his beloved wife, was sane.  
  
He had of course started off a bit harsh. "Mina I absolutely forbid you to see this person!" But he soon moderated his stance a little. "If he even thought about touching you I'll cut his." That too eventually gave way until they reached a compromise. "You better not hurt her mister. I can promise you that I'll be watching you like a hawk."  
  
Mori of course took the whole thing in stride. "Zzzzzzzzzz. Zzzzzzzzzzz"  
  
"Mori stop that!" Mina yelled embarrassed. "We both know you don't sleep." She fought a grin despite her mortification when he pretended to stretch and yawn himself awake.  
  
Finally they got around to discussing the real reason they were there. The Ainos didn't like the idea of moving one bit. The thought of leaving the home they were struggling to buy didn't sit well with either of them. Only the certainty in their daughter's voice that their survival depended on it made any impression.  
  
"And what makes you think you can stop these Ulterran from doing whatever they want if we lived in that apartment?" Toku questioned roughly. He quailed slightly when Mori's aura manifested. A deafening roar just outside the window drew his attention to a solid column of lightning that had formed in his back yard. It extended to a sky black with roiling storm clouds that had been less than a few minutes ago completely clear.  
  
"That." Mori said calmly. "Well that and the fact that Zeryn is mortally terrified of annoying me. He might possibly have the guts to strike at a target that would hurt Mina, but not right under my nose. That would be suicide." Toku couldn't help but nod in agreement.  
  
"Does this mean you're not getting married?" Aijin asked sounding heartbroken.  
  
"Ehhh, no. Sorry." Mori said looking a little put off. Mina frowned at him.  
  
********  
  
Ami and Neko arrived at the Tsukino residence just a little before noon. They had decided to kill some time after dealing with Makoto and had whiled away more than an hour just walking through the park. It was rare for Ami to go there without fighting a demon of some kind. As Haruka had once said only couples and pigeons went there, somehow she had of course forgotten Damians, Cardians, Youma, Droids, Phage and Mirror Dollies.  
  
Ami pressed the doorbell and waited patiently for someone to answer. She was amazed when Usagi herself answered only a few seconds later. Even more startling was the fact that Usagi looked wide awake, not exactly happy but awake. She motioned them inside and trudged towards the stairs. Luna, who had been curled up in the sunlight on the back of the couch, came to immediate attention when Neko passed by. She nipped Diana awake and the two of them quietly joined the procession.  
  
They found Usa sitting on Usagi's bed obviously seething. It was quite evident that something was going on between the Princesses and it wasn't good. Usagi pointedly ignored the pink haired girl and quickly took a seat on the floor.  
  
"So what's up?" She asked sounding irritated.  
  
"Usagi, we have a very big problem." Ami began.  
  
"Nope, we can't have any problems. We have too many problems as it is, there's just not room for any more. It will just have to wait it's turn."  
  
Ami could hear the humour in Usagi's voice but contained within the humour was an obvious request. If they could possibly hold off trying to deal with whatever they needed Usagi would appreciate it. Ami wished she could have complied. Unfortunately this was too important. It was literally a matter of life and death.  
  
"I'm sorry Usagi-chan, but this is very important."  
  
"No."  
  
"What?" Ami said bewildered.  
  
"No, it's not important. I can't take any more Ami-chan. I just can't." Usagi said with tears filling her eyes.  
  
Ami had been afraid of this. It had been building for a good long time. Usagi had always been a little more fragile than the rest of them but she had borne up well during all of their many troubles. Ami had always secretly believed Usagi's optimism was rooted in her assurance that everything would be alright in the end. The death of Crystal Tokyo had shaken that foundation. With no guarantee of the future and the staggering amount of troubles they now faced Usagi was beginning to break under the strain.  
  
"It's ok Usagi-chan." She said trying to calm her now crying friend.  
  
"Yea Odango grow up, we have work to do. Sitting around crying about it won't fix what's broken." Usa added disdainfully.  
  
"Shut up!" Usagi snarled wheeling around on her quasi-daughter. "I thought you I told you not to speak until spoken to!"  
  
"What kind of a mother are you!" Usa cried.  
  
"The only one you'll ever have." Usagi returned wearily. "In case you can't tell I'm having a little trouble of my own here." Usagi said not looking at them, her voice dripping with poorly disguised pain.  
  
"Usagi, dealing with this new problem will help a lot with some of the others." Ami said gently.  
  
Usagi turned a hopeful look at Ami. Her expressive blue eyes were still half filled with tears but some of the pain was gone. She looked at Ami as if she were her only salvation. Ami only wished the solution wasn't going to be as painful as she knew it would be.  
  
*********  
  
"You want me to what?" Usagi said in disbelief.  
  
"You have to Usagi. I don't think we could convince them without knowing the truth. Besides all of the other parents know by now so it will not be long before yours find out no matter what." Ami replied.  
  
"This is your idea isn't it?" Usagi accused Neko bitterly.  
  
"As a matter of fact it is. Mori and Mordred agreed with me instantly when I brought it up but the initial plan was mine."  
  
"Why can't we just stay here."  
  
"Iria."  
  
The name caused both Usagis and the grey Mau to shiver. Spending the entire night tied up never knowing if you would live to see the dawn would tend to leave a lasting impression. Usagi still looked ready to argue though.  
  
"How would this help with anything else. It will just make all my problems worse."  
  
"First, you would be immeasurably better defended. You would know for certain that she isn't coming back. Second, you would be much closer to Mamoru. In fact it just might be possible for you to stay with him instead of your parents. It's not like you would be far away from them and they have to know by now just how deeply involved you two are. Third, you would know beyond the shadow of a doubt that your family is safe. Living there they would all be under the protection of not one but three Primarchs."  
  
"Four." Neko countered gently.  
  
"Four?" Ami asked.  
  
"Lor, he lives down on the fourth floor."  
  
"Oh ok, four Primarchs. No one is stupid enough to go up against that."  
  
"Especially with Mordred as one of them." Neko said with a very serious expression.  
  
Usagi felt beset at all sides. She didn't want to move, she liked her home. Even the thought of staying with Mamoru meant considerably less when it meant leaving like this. She almost didn't agree until she remembered how helpless she had felt in Iria's power. There was no question that Iria scared her, and she wouldn't risk letting Iria get a hold of her family.  
  
As a group all of them, including Usa, walked down to talk to Usagi's parents. Kenji and Ikuko were somewhat startled to be confronted be such a gathering. Of course that would turn out to be nothing compared to hearing what Usagi had to say.  
  
"Mom, dad there's something I have to tell you."  
  
Much later the Tsukinos would learn to laugh about what happened that day, at the time though it was chaos. Throughout Usagi telling her tale her parents went through the entire gamut of coping. They began with denial which quickly moved on to depression then anger until the first glimmers of acceptance began to surface.  
  
That lasted until it was explained just exactly who Chibi-Usa was. Kenji was all for castrating Mamoru on sight but Ikuko looked on the pink haired teen with new wonder. They were both understandably upset with the amount of deception that had gone on beneath their noses yet in their eyes dawned a new respect of their daughter. Her difficulties in school became much more understandable when the obstacles in her life became known. They stood staring at her with pride at the end of the tale.  
  
".And that's why we have to leave." Usagi finished.  
  
"I don't understand Usagi-chan." Ikuko began  
  
"I don't either." Kenji agreed with her. "It seems you've been doing this for years and nothing has happened to us. I would have been upset if I had known back in the beginning but you certainly have proved that we have nothing to worry about."  
  
"That's just it Tsukino-san," Ami began, "you do have to worry about it now. This is nothing like it was before."  
  
"Nonsense. None of your other enemies have ever tried anything like that. We can't just give up our home because some lunatic may someday decide to attack."  
  
"Their other enemies were weaklings and fools Tsukino-san." Neko spoke up for the first time. "You have no conception of the power that their enemies wield. Beryl was for all her evil merely a human. Her generals were the same. Ali and Ann were pathetic dryads. Like Beryl the people of Nemesis were just that, human. The servants of Pharaoh 90 were little more than minor demons. Only Galaxia of all the threats they have faced possessed even a glimmer of true power. Iria and Zeryn are Ulterran Elders. They are several orders of magnitude more dangerous than all of their previous enemies combined. If sufficiently provoked Zeryn could scour this entire planet of life in an instant. The defences your daughter has always enjoyed that protected her identity are meaningless against that kind of power."  
  
Ikuko was convinced, she more than anyone wanted to protect her children. The house that Kenji had worked so hard to afford was simply that, an object. It was easily replaced but her family was another matter. She looked at her daughter and with new eyes at her granddaughter. She couldn't lose them and that's exactly what would happen if they didn't take this seriously.  
  
"Anata, I think we should do what they say." She began.  
  
"I will not be ordered around in my own home!" He shouted. Before he even got the chance to finish whatever he was saying he found himself and his entire family, including Shingo who had been visiting a friend, standing in the front lawn.  
  
"Under other circumstances I would try to be more diplomatic with you Kenji," Neko said abruptly, "but to tell you the truth right now I just don't even care to try." Neko imperiously pointed a hand at the Tsukino home and it exploded. "Usagi, Usa all of your families things have already been moved to the apartments. You and Usa will be staying with Mamoru for now, your parents and Shingo have their own. I expect you to have your parents there in no less than three hours. Do you understand?"  
  
"Hai." Usagi said eyes wide in shock.  
  
"Oh Kenji, don't bother trying to order her around. As the head of her clan I outrank you, and should you give me no other choice I'll come up with another solution. Usagi is my forty something great granddaughter, she matters to me, you don't." Neko's glare stayed in Kenji's mind long after he disappeared, and the implied threat would last a lifetime.  
  
********  
  
Rei sat down on her bed and looked around her new room. In many small ways it looked much like her bedroom at the shrine had but it didn't feel like home. She had been moderately surprised to find that she and Makoto actually shared the apartment, but given their position as the only single Senshi it made sense.  
  
It was a little hard to come to terms with the idea that all of the other Senshi, including both Hotaru and Chibi-Usa, had someone in their lives. She half smiled at Chibi-Usa's original reaction to being set up. Once everyone calmed down though, Usa had admitted to all of them that she didn't mind at all. As the Princess of Crystal Tokyo she had always expected to have an arranged marriage. It was only the shock of it actually happening that caused the outburst. She was also very pleased with who they chose. Of course even Rei admitted that Elios was attractive.  
  
Rei was halfway across the room before she even realized that she had stood up, and almost on autopilot she made her way to Makoto's door. She really needed someone to talk to and Makoto was very close. Hopefully she wasn't busy. She was the only person Rei felt like she could identify with right then.  
  
Rei knocked on the door to announce herself and walked into her roommates room. She stopped and looked on in total disbelief at the sight revealed to her. Makoto sat on her bed leaning against the wall with her knees tucked to her chin laughing while Nephrite sat on the floor facing her. He was also laughing though not nearly as much as Makoto.  
  
The scene was completely innocent and yet felt like a complete betrayal to Rei. Rei knew that there had to be something she didn't know about the past but that had little effect on her feelings. She remembered the pain of seeing Jadeite arrayed against her. She would never forgive that.  
  
"Sorry," Rei said quickly before ducking out of the room. The privacy wards that sealed off every apartment meant that occasionally people were going to get nasty shocks like that. There was no way for them to prevent it. They weren't telepaths like the Primarchs were. Rei and Makoto had already discussed that little problem and decided to be mature about it. If one of them walked in on something private, or something they didn't want to know, they would simply do their best to forget about it and smack Mori and Neko later.  
  
Feeling even worse than she had been, Rei threw herself on the couch and stared out the sliding door to the balcony. There were six apartments per floor and like the rest of the Senshi she lived on the fourteenth floor. She and Makoto's apartment was on the same side of the building as Mamoru's she knew that if she walked out on the balcony and leaned out past the dividing wall she would just be able to see onto Mamoru's. If she looked down she would be able to see directly onto the Generals'.  
  
Her mind was caught in a loop. Everyone had someone but her. No matter what else she tried to think about everything led back to that. All of her friends were with their significant others, with the possible exceptions of Setsuna and Chibi-Usa. She briefly considered calling on one of them before dismissing the idea. She had so little in common with Setsuna that they would likely just sit in silence, something that was far too conductive to the types of brooding thoughts that she was trying to avoid. Usa on the other hand would babble on about how wonderful Elios was, and how lucky she was to have someone like him. In short it would be like talking to Usagi about Mamoru. Drinking a few litres of paint thinner sounded more pleasant.  
  
Over time the warm sunlight and her own depression conspired against her. She found herself slipping lightly into sleep, and like every time she had slept recently the dreams came.  
  
Once again he spun her around while she laughed. They flowed smoothly around the dance floor completely unaware and unconcerned with the other couples that shared the space. He dipped her dangerously far back but she had no fear that he would drop her.  
  
"You dance well Lady Mars." Jadeite commented.  
  
"As do you Lord Jadeite. I find it strange that a man who supposedly spends all his time preparing for war would be quite so proficient in something so peaceful."  
  
"Ahh Lady Mars, there are more places to wage war than on the battlefield." He replied with a disarming smile. "One would agree it would be far simpler to conquer a world by conquering its princess's heart."  
  
"Is that what you do here?" She questioned just a bit coldly.  
  
"Not in the least. It has been said it would be far easier to conquer Mars itself than capturing its lady's heart." His eyes flashed laughter and again their steps led into a twirl. This time it was a bit faster and she found herself deep in Jadeite's embrace his arms wrapped around her from behind holding her crossed hands as it ended.  
  
"You are very brave. Few men would dare take such liberties without permission." She said looking flirtatiously over her shoulder at him. Her eyes burned with invitation.  
  
"Then most men are fools. There are some women worth any risk." He leaned forwards just a bit and brushed his lips across her neck. The breath caught in her throat at the feeling. No man had ever dared as much. The thrill of his forbidden liberties was enticing.  
  
This was the first time in almost a decade that the Earth had sent a peace delegation to the Moon. The two worlds weren't actually at war, but they had never been friendly either. There were ancient laws still enforced that made it a crime for the Earthlings to be here without specific invitation. She didn't know the origin of those laws, but they would be much harder for her to enforce now that she had met one of these Earthlings.  
  
She gasped when one of his hands, hidden from direct observation by his swirling cape slid down her side brushing fearlessly over parts of her most men were afraid to dream about. Her nipples tightened painfully at the near caress. He pulled her a little tighter to him and she could feel his firmness pushing against her through their clothing. Her knees went weak at the feeling and she could do little more then trust in his strength while he held her close.  
  
"You're a lovely armful Lady Mars." He said still swaying to the music. Her face and neck had turned as red as the sky of her world. He held her in such a way that no one could tell that he was practically making love to her right there on the dance floor. Her heartbeat rose until she was sure that her entire body was pulsing with it.  
  
"Please Lord Jadeite, I. I." She breathed heavily.  
  
"What do you want of me my little firebrand?" Jadeite knew this had gone much too far.  
  
Originally he had complained when Endymion and requested that he accompany him to the Moon. He had no interest in playing the diplomacy game with the infamous snobs of the Lunar Royal Court. His reluctance was proven well founded by the majority of the nobles. Few of them could see through the thick cloaks of self importance they wrapped around themselves. This ball was more a chance for the snivelling sycophants to see and be seen. That was until the Royal Wards had arrived.  
  
It was well known on the Earth that one of the major ways the Moon kept it's stranglehold on the rest of the solar system was its holding hostage of the crown princesses of all of the other inhabited worlds. From their eighth birthday until whenever they took the throne of their homeworlds themselves the little girls became wards of the Moon Queen. It kept the parents in line quite nicely and allowed the Lunar Royal Family to indoctrinate the little girls to their way of thinking. Jadeite was beginning to question whether or not what he had always been told was the truth. Lady Rei didn't seem like anyone's fool.  
  
From the moment he spotted her amidst the cluster of little Princesses he had been drawn to her. At first he had only intended to talk with her but as he approached the giggling gaggle of young ladies something strange happened. Instead of striking up some totally inane and pointless conversation he had asked her to dance. He hadn't let go of her since. His actions were completely scandalous. He was single handedly monopolizing the Royal Princess of Mars and he didn't feel the slightest bit of shame. The fact that she seemed to share his delight in each others company wasn't hurting in the least.  
  
"I think I want you to kiss me." She said breathlessly once again peering over her shoulder at him with those vivid lavender eyes. He could have no more refused her than he could simply stop breathing. The kiss deepened until it was far too intense for public viewing.  
  
"Lady Mars," Jadeite said out of breath. "I don't believe I can take much more of this."  
  
"Nor can I Lord Jadeite." She looked around quickly and came to a decision. "Follow me." She strode as quickly as decorum allowed out of the ball room and towards the temple. She was the High Priestess, no one would dare question her right to enter. No matter whom she had with her.  
  
Rei awoke with a start, her body aching for the conclusion to her dreaming activities. She couldn't even begin to bring herself under control. Even the thought of trying to ignore her body's demands was painful, and she knew that the release she craved could never be sated on her own.  
  
Staring out the glass balcony door she wept in pain at her body's betrayal. She was so caught up in her misery that she almost missed him standing just outside staring back at her. One look at her tear streaked face brought him to her side despite the innumerable dangers.  
  
Rei didn't even react when Jadeite teleported into the apartment. She didn't react when he knelt at her side. She didn't even react when he spoke softly to her, pleading with her to tell him what was wrong. When he gently touched her face she attacked him.  
  
Jadeite almost didn't get out of the way in time. Her fist passed through where his head had been a fraction of a second before with enough force to dent a fifteen centimetre thick steel wall. A simple graze would kill him.  
  
"Mars, calm down!" If anything his words only made it worse. For almost five minutes she attacked in a blind rage. She was too angry for any of her hard earned skills to shine through. Had she retained those skills Jadeite would have been a dead man, as it was a half blind child could have avoided her attacks. Once she had worn herself down he caught her and held on tight, both in an attempt to comfort her and to keep her from killing him.  
  
"I hate you." She whispered. Her words cut him deeper than any blade ever could.  
  
"I hate you Jadeite. Kiss me."  
  
"Mars?" He whispered.  
  
"Don't you dare talk to me. Just kiss me." Jadeite complied and once again gloried in the feeling of the woman in his arms.  
  
One kiss led to another and soon their hands were all over one another. Jadeite began carefully walking them towards the open door to her bedroom giving her plenty of opportunity to change her mind. Once they were through the door she closed it with her foot ending any doubt that she knew what she was doing. Moments later they were both naked and he laid her down gently on her bed. He tried to move slowly, to give her time to decide but she reached out and pulled him down onto her.  
  
"I know that you're thinking of the Lady Mars you knew so long ago Jadeite." She said once he was fully inside her. "I don't mind. You can think whatever you want to make it through the day." Her words hurt in almost direct counterpoint to the rising bliss he felt.  
  
"I've learned that hard way not to fight destiny Jadeite." She said in gasps. "You can think of Lady Mars because it doesn't mater, I'll think of a man worth a million of you, don't mind me when I call out Mori's name."  
  
********  
  
School on Monday was interesting to say the least. Konjou and Tenjin spent the vast majority of the day sending telepathic messages to the Senshi while still trying to appear to be paying attention. They had no problem but it caused a few tense moments for the girls. Laughter at inappropriate times was highly frowned on and Makoto beginning to cackle madly during a history review of Nazi Germany was considered in very bad taste. Only the Sensei's fear of Konjou and Tenjin kept her from detention.  
  
Near the end of the day Konjou complained of the sounds of large vehicles several times. Ami too thought she heard something but it was so hard for her to concentrate on just one sound among the multitude that she could hear that she wasn't sure. When the final bell rang Hikage appeared in the room with all of the Outers save Setsuna. The fact that the door was still closed and no one had yet left their seats was not lost on anyone.  
  
"Stay in your seats." Hikage commanded softly. No one moved. "Mori, Neko you have a few visitors outside that you should see to before the classes release."  
  
"What?" Mori asked assuming his normal appearance.  
  
"Look outside."  
  
Mori and Neko ran to the window and found the source of noise he had been hearing since just after lunch. A full infantry and armour division guarded the exits of the school ground. Neko actually managed to look offended.  
  
"What in the hell do they think they're doing?" Neko asked Mordred.  
  
"Killing you I'd assume."  
  
Neko actually laughed out loud. "With what?"  
  
"Lots and lots of very big guns and if that doesn't work they will like try less conventional methods.  
  
"Mori?" Neko asked.  
  
"Yea, I think we outta go nip this in the bud. This could way too easily get out of hand."  
  
The horrified students watched as the beings that spoke so casually of taking on the most elite forces of the JSDF teleported out of the building to the courtyard below. Every window on that side of the building quickly became crowded with faces and students that had found themselves locked in their classrooms watched the face off between their government and beings able to put the Senshi down.  
  
********  
  
General Yamakazi had briefed his troops well. The fact that they didn't flee in panic at the first sign of their quarry flouting the laws of physics was a good sign. They had spent a full day reviewing every piece of surveillance footage that any camera anywhere on earth had of the targets. No one was sure about the extent of their powers but one thing was certain, if they waited for the aliens to strike first then it would be too late.  
  
"Mordaki! Niccolai!" General Yamakazi called out using the names they had identified themselves as during their apparitions. "You are ordered to surrender yourselves to the authority of the Government of Japan. You will lay down on your stomachs immediately and place your hands behind your heads."  
  
Mori looked at Neko and the two of them bust into laughter. There was no way in hell that any amount of mortals could make them do anything.  
  
"No thanks," Mori said still smiling, "I'd rather not. My shirt's all so nice and clean and well it just isn't worth the hassle for me to get it dirty like that. Besides do you really think you can make me?" Any further comments he would have made were drowned out by the continuous rolling reports of nine hundred sixty American made M-16 A2's concentrating fire into a space less than two metres square.  
  
The horrific cacophony lasted thirty seconds as men ran their weapons dry again and again changing clips until they were through half of their supply. Nothing should have survived. The Teflon coated bullets could punch through five centimetre thick Kevlar body armour. That many rounds striking that small of a space could have torn a hole in a battleship. The rounds still floated in the air before their targets. Not one of them got any closer than a dozen centimetres. The result of so many rounds impacting on each other almost created a lead wall in front of the Primarchs.  
  
"Do you think they get the point?" Neko asked in a loud voice once the echoes cleared.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"I didn't think so either. Next time I get to stop the bullets, okay?"  
  
"If you think it will do any good, personally I think I should give them their bullets back."  
  
"Now now Mori, you're always warning me about being too bloodthirsty. It's not these humans' fault they were ordered out here."  
  
"Fine do it your way, but I still think a few examples would handle the problem."  
  
"Mori, one 'example' would trigger a massacre."  
  
"Like I care. They're only humans."  
  
The assembled troops lost quite a bit of moral between the complete ineffectiveness of their primary weapons and the totally fearless and casual way their enemy talked of killing them. General Yamakazi though was made of sterner stuff. He keyed the mic to his hand held radio and ordered the second team to fire.  
  
Ten nineteen eighties constructed M-60 main battle tanks fired their turrets at the pair and six AH-64 attack helicopters came out of quite mode from behind nearby buildings to open up with Vulcan cannons.  
  
Neko had the same amount of difficulty dealing with this new threat that Mori had dealing with the first, none. The only thing the JSDF managed to accomplish during that short period of time was waste an incredible amount of money in ammunition and frighten the students of Juuban behind their targets. The pointless stalemate lasted until one nervous helicopter pilot's hand slipped on the stick and an AMG 114 Hellfire AT missile was accidentally launched at the school.  
  
Had that small slip not happened many fates would have been different. Neko dealt with the missile as soon as he became aware that it wasn't aimed at them. His counterattack batted the Apache out of the sky in a ball of flaming wreckage. Instantly the firing orders of the entire strike force changed. The Primarchs were for some reason protecting the school, which meant it had to be destroyed.  
  
Hikage felt the shift in the thoughts of the soldiers. He had known that it would come to this but he had still hoped that he was wrong. Without a second thought he erected a barrier around the entire school that Lor would have trouble breaking. It would suffice for the external threat but there were already assassins in the building. They had orders to take the humans that had been consorting with the Primarchs, he wouldn't let that happen.  
  
The instant Mori noticed where the tanks were changing their turret facing to he acted. The ground beneath the tanks became a thick mud. They sank almost instantly all the way to their barrels. Once they were immobilized he once again solidified the ground. They were no longer a threat but he would finish them off in a moment.  
  
Neko snarled in pure hate. The other five AH-64's lifted straight up as fast as they could, trying to get out of range of whatever he did to the first one. There was no where they could run and they were too slow to flee. Neko willed five spheres of flame into existence and sent them after their targets at twice the speed of sound.  
  
Three kilometres from the war zone four MLRS had sat waiting for orders. When the targeting coordinates came through none of the crew even batted an eye. This was a war for the survival of the human race and they knew the meaning of acceptable losses. As one the eight six centimetre thick blast doors opened and the MLRS crews fired their full spread at the doomed school.  
  
Kindness wasn't even in Mori's vocabulary at the moment. He reached out to the elemental forces under his command and arched a single lightning bolt through an entire company of the Gunshin division. In an instant two hundred forty more souls were fed to the astral vortex caused unknowingly by Hotaru's spell.  
  
"Make them stop!" Usagi cried in horror at the carnage going on in the courtyard below her.  
  
"Who?" Haruka asked coldly. She had once again allowed her emotions to submerge beneath the icy exterior of duty. Unlike Usagi she wasn't blinded by her innocence, she knew what started the killings. Given the opportunity she would be down there with the Primarchs, and Kami help the JSDF.  
  
"I can't look." Mina said weakly. The thought of what was happening down there made her knees weak. Mori, the man she loved, was perpetrating a wholesale slaughter. She could feel the energies he wielded echoing within her. In a very real way she was a part of every strike. Mina almost reached out to stop him until she felt his rage. The person down there bore little resemblance to the Mori she knew. That was the Mori whose name in Aleph translated to Stormbringer. It was no coincidence that Mordaki and Mordred began with the same sound. In Aleph the word Mor meant destruction, and Mina had never felt it was a more apt description.  
  
Ami cringed as the feeling of raw magic crawled over her skin. She could taste Neko's hate with every spell. The seeking fireballs he made to chase the helicopters had no business being that slow. He had made them that way to give the crews time to feel terror. He had gone beyond defending the innocents and slipped deep into punishing those he felt were guilty. She fell to the ground and retched weakly when she felt Neko flash boil all the fluids inside a solider that pointed a rocket launcher at the windows. He exploded an instant later into a shower of gore.  
  
She didn't even blink at the sight before her. The sounds of men screaming and dying made no impression at all. Everyone involved knew the risks they had taken when they accepted this job. She had no remorse for fools that would blindly follow orders into a completely hopeless suicide mission. Hotaru's violet eyes never even blinked as she watched a few more souls become silenced.  
  
Mordred turned around and faced the door into the classroom. Any second now they would arrive and it would be time to do his part. He absently wished that there was another way to do what had to be done but he knew better than to question destiny. He walked away from the girls and placed himself in front of the door.  
  
Ten seconds later everyone in the room heard a high pitched whine as the capacitors on the shape charge attached to the door powered up. An instant later the door disintegrated into splinters that bounced harmlessly off a barrier directly in front of Hikage. The fire team rushed through the now shattered doorway and found themselves face to face with a waif like boy that despite the uniform couldn't have possibly been old enough for high school. He wasn't any of the people they had been instructed to subdue but he was in the way of the ones that were.  
  
"Everyone down on the floor!" The platoon leader yelled. Most of the students instantly moved to comply but the scrawny kid didn't move a muscle. They really didn't want to hurt him but if the brat tried to make any trouble one more body wouldn't bother them in the least.  
  
"You really don't want to do this." The little boy said sounding completely unafraid of the people coming through the door with automatic weapons.  
  
"Get out of the way kid." One of the fire team said and made a move to push him to the ground. He waited until the man's outstretched hand touched him before grabbing it and twisting hard enough to tear every tendon in the offending limb.  
  
"I said get down on the floor!" The platoon leader yelled again, pointing his weapon at the only other people not on the floor, the Senshi. He hardly had time to even register the movement before the barrel of his MP-5 bent double. He stared stupidly at his destroyed weapon for a second before the cause settled in.  
  
Hikage released the barrel of the small automatic weapon and shook his finger at the frightened man in a chiding motion. The boy began to glow in the manner of a blacklight and the fire team knew they were in trouble.  
  
"I warned you nicely against trying to hurt anyone. You really should have listened to me. I don't understand why you humans have such difficulty doing things that are in your best interest." When he finished talking he simply changed, where a little boy had stood before now stood something from those darkest most primitive nightmares of humanity.  
  
It was humanoid, vaguely, but no human had ever looked like that. Its body seemed comprised of solidified shadow. It stood close to two and a half metres tall with enormous wings on its back. Long claws thrust from the end of its hands and its shadowy substance seemed to drip off it evaporating just before striking the floor. No one in the room could even move they were so afraid. Even the Senshi were paralyzed with gibbering horror. The creature moved gracefully forward in an eye wrenching manner that made observers doubt that it interacted with the universe in a normal way.  
  
It slashed out with a clawed arm and the leader of the fire team fell back screaming. For just a moment there was a flicker of the shadow creature holding a translucent duplicate of the fallen man. The body hit the floor and turned to ash in seconds. eight more times the shadow creature struck and every victim suffered the same gruesome fate.  
  
Finally only one member of the team remained. The shadows rippled and once again Hikage stood before them. Everyone quickly found themselves able to move again but few did unless it was to faint or vomit. Hikage walked directly to the remaining solider and spoke quietly though all of the Senshi were easily able to hear him.  
  
"You would not have killed anyone. Gunning down innocents was not how you wanted to serve your people. Your compassion is why you live. You will tell your superiors what happened, they need to learn their place. The time of the humans is over, adapt or become yet another fossil."  
  
The man ran away obviously having lost control of his bladder. He was hardly the only one in the room to have suffered that fate though. Most of the students that had witnessed the event would never be the same again.  
  
"Kami-sama Mordred, what did you do to them?" Haruka asked in horror. Other than Hotaru she was the only one to so far regain the power of speech.  
  
"The same thing that any other demon would have. You must have realised that that even the creatures of the Nexus were made by our fathers. Who do you think they represent?"  
  
Dead silence filled the room safe for the noises coming in from the carnage outside.  
  
While Mori was somewhat occupied dealing with an infantry platoon, by simply returning their bullets to them at just under one hundred thousand kilometres an hour, Neko took notice of a tank that had somehow managed to not quite sink as deep as the others. He marvelled at his good fortune and clenched his fist. The entire tank imploded spraying gore five metres into the air. The approaching high pitched whistle warned him something was going on seconds before the first of the forty eight rockets slammed into the defensive barrier surrounding the school.  
  
Neko came unglued. There were no other words for it. He could tell easily who had put up the barrier and he admitted that he owed Mordred big for it. He left the rest of the humans to Mori he had something more important to do.  
  
Neko grabbed a white hot piece of one of the missiles that had ineffectually struck Mordred's shield. With it he knew exactly where to find the object that launched them. He focused his will hard on the effect he desired. The spell itself was difficult beyond the ability for anyone else to have done this way, he made it harder still by focusing its effects. The area would be frighteningly limited but it would be many times more powerful for it.  
  
Three kilometres away four MLRSs disassociated in to far less than their components when the magnified cataclysm spell created a hundred metre diameter pillar of quantum disruption fifteen kilometres tall. For a brief instant there was quite literally hell on earth.  
  
Neko was brought back to awareness of the battle around him an instant later by an inhumane cracking sound followed by hoarse screaming. It took no imagination to understand what was happening, Mori had the guy in charge of this little parade and was expressing his displeasure. Neko almost felt sorry for the human until he remembered hearing him change the firing orders of the strike force.  
  
The humans had made several mistakes but assuming that orders passed by radio would be secure was one of the worst. Neko's hearing was many times better than a human's, in both range and sensitivity. It was a very simple matter for him to extend it into the FM band. Mori was the Primarch of Nature, what in the hell did they think radio waves were anyway?  
  
The breaking sounds grew louder and even Neko had to say something. He looked over and saw Mori holding a small flesh coloured cube. Neko was afraid to even think of the implications of that observation. Pissing off the Primarch of Form was a really bad idea.  
  
"Is he dead?" Neko asked cautiously.  
  
"No, he'll starve to death in a few days but until then he gets to enjoy life as a Rubix Cube."  
  
"That's sick Mori. That's really sick."  
  
Hikage appeared and quickly assumed his Mordred appearance. He made a sad face at the carnage around him and all of the organic remains save for the living cube disappeared. He raised an eyebrow at Mori and all other evidence, again save for the cube, vanished.  
  
"Thank you, you know your father told you to clean up your messes."  
  
The force field around the school flickered and was gone all of the doors unlocked and the terrified students slowly and cautiously made their way to their homes. There was none of the panic people would have expected, they we so far beyond panic that they were calm.  
  
Nine students and one councillor did not leave with the rest. It was very clear to them that they had been abandoned by their own people. The assault team that had hunted for them in the school had brought home to them that they were considered the enemy now. Their alternate identities were pointless as they were more than certain that whomever decided that simple schoolgirls were valid targets would have no qualms whatsoever of attacking the Senshi as well.  
  
The girls simply stood staring listlessly at one another for several moments. Finally Rei looked up tear tracks highly evident on her face. She pulled gently on Mori's arm to get his attention.  
  
"Can we go home now?" She asked just barely above a whisper.  
  
"Sure Rei-chan. Let's all go home." He replied softly. Neko returned everyone to the penthouse a fraction of a second later. From there they all split up to return to their own apartments.  
  
Mina lay down on the couch and curled into a ball. She wished desperately that she could cry but the tears wouldn't come. Her lack of sorrow hurt worse than watching the massacre had. Ami stood staring out over the balcony. She shrugged gently away when Neko put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Please don't Neko." She said in apology. "I have to be alone for a little bit."  
  
Ami teleported to the park where she and her friends had defeated so many evil creatures. She walked aimlessly around for a few minutes before coming to a halt on the opposite side of the lake from the docks. Deep in her growing despair she watched her reflection in the rippling water, seeing a frightening parallel to her life. She could no longer clearly see where she was going, and she didn't even know who she was anymore.  
  
She thought back to the strange illness she had somehow contracted. No one seemed to have any idea what was wrong with her, but four times she had nearly died from what the guys called energy crash. So far it had happened exactly twenty eight hours apart ever since Neko was wounded. If she was right about the timing it would happen again in about twelve hours. She was already dreading it.  
  
She didn't even feel the pulse of magical energy before it knocked her unconscious.  
  
End Chapter 11  
  
This is a bit of a teaser for chapter 12, have fun  
  
".There is nowhere he can hide from me if I have to I will burn the fucking universe to the ground!" Neko screamed in rage. Zeryn had made a huge mistake. This made trying to kidnap Lunari look like nothing. Neko lashed out in rage and 1.3 billion kilometres away, Iapetus one of the larger moons of Saturn, vanished in a cataclysmic explosion.  
  
"This is not a good thing." Mori said softly. There was no way to stop Neko short of killing him.  
  
"No, this is most definitely a Bad Thing." Mordred replied.  
  
A few authors notes.  
  
First, after exhaustive research into the matter it has become evident that NOWHERE in ANYTHING are ANY of the SM parents named save for Usagi's. As such I have decided to name the parents myself continuing Ms. Takeuchi Naoko's obvious pattern.  
  
Second, several of the Primary characters (and almost ALL of the secondary ones) have gained some flavouring from other sources. Good examples are Mina having just a dash of Buffy for zest. Mrs. Aino's personality I have based off of Mihoshi (I can easily imagine a Mihoshi like personality spawning the Mina we see in both CN:SV and SM. As Mina has a dash of Buffy so Ami has a dash of Willow. It fits, end of story.  
  
Third, I know I'm going to catch hell for the Rei stuff. To put it bluntly she's broken. She's taken way too many emotional hits to come out clean. I won't promise that she will come out alright wither, expect more character suffering on all fronts before this is over.  
  
Fourth, you all are finally getting to see how the Primarchs behave in their natural state. You might question how the Senshi escaped getting mowed down in the beginning, I'll give you an answer. They consider humans with sorcerer(ess) potential to be above normal humans, they were willing to cut them some slack. They even gave the mundane humans more than enough chances to flee, it was when they threatened the school (and by extension the girls) that things went south with a quickness. Expect more killings, lots of them.  
  
For those of you who have been long waiting for more info on secondary characters like oh. Zeryn, Iria, Jander, Lor, The Mindless, Zoicite, and Kunzite hang on the next chapter should answer some of your questions.  
  
Finally a few words on the Primarchs themselves.  
  
Lor. The eldest being in the universe. Sphere of Influence: Energy and Time. Normal Physical Appearance 2.3 Metres in height 85 Kilos Ash blond hair pale blue eyes. Personality: Prankster. Background: Lor was the first thing to come into existence when the universe was made. He can actually remember when the other Primarchs appeared. His only duty was to create and guard Time itself. He has been known to have more than one of himself in existence during the same timeframe and the laws of physics be dammed.  
  
Mori. Actually the Third oldest despite his title. Sphere of influence Nature and Form. Appearance: Irrelevant. Personality: Constantly in flux. Like the elements he commands Mori is constantly in flux. He is very unpredictable and highly chaotic. Background: Mori's main job is to hold together the balance of forces in the universe. As such he tends to be highly reactive. Of all of the Primarchs he has interacted the most with the sentient races and often loses his impartiality through his caring. He is ruthless in defending those he likes and very very vengeful.  
  
Neko. The youngest. Sphere of Influence Sentience and Magic. Appearance: Irrelevant. Personality: Think of a cat, hedonistic playful and violent when irritated. Background: Neko is the replacement for the original Primarch of Will. He has worked hard over the eons to become accepted by his peers. It was his idea originally to shelter the mortals though he had no place to put them. He is the only Primarch to have ever claimed a family as his own.  
  
Jander. The despised. Sphere of Influence: Corruption and Decay. Appearance: 1.9 metres 120 kilos Violet hair and viridian eyes. Very muscular and usually smirking about something he's done. Personality: People expect the worst from Jander and he positively delights in exceeding their expectations. He isn't evil per say, more he seems to really REALLY enjoy his job. Background: As the Primarch of Corruption Jander has from the very beginning been subjected to the darker side of things. Throughout his existence his job has led him into direct conflict with every Primarch save Mordred. As such he is usually shunned even by his fellows. In all of history the only time he has ever actually worked together in total agreement with all of the others was during the creation and dispensation of the Avatar Gems. His rivalry with Neko knows no bounds.  
  
Mordred. The second oldest. Sphere of Influence: Entropy. Appearance: Irrelevant. (but don't tell Mori he can shapeshift) Personality Slightly introverted but polite and surprisingly friendly. Background: Mordred is everyone's worst nightmare. When it's time for the Universe to end he's the guy who turns off the lights. Unlike his fellows his power isn't linked to the normal universe, it IS the Nexus, as such he truly possesses no limits. As entropy is the final state of all existence, Mordred can see the path that all things take to it, giving him unparalleled precognitive abilities. Mordred has been forced into combat less often than any of the others. 


End file.
